Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on June 25, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 23, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleUkraine and the Council of Europe signed an agreement to establish a tribunal for prosecuting Russian aggression, focusing on senior officials.
(Reuters) -Ukraine and the Council of Europe human rights body signed an agreement on Wednesday forming the basis for a special tribunal intended to bring to justice senior Russian officials for the crime of aggression against Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset signed the accord in the French city of Strasbourg at the Council's headquarters.
"This is truly a very important step. Every war criminal must know there will be justice and that includes Russia. We are now boosting the legal work in a serious way," Zelenskiy told the ceremony.
"There is still a long road ahead. Today's agreement is just the beginning. We must take real steps to make it work. It will take strong political and legal cooperation to make sure every Russian war criminal faces justice, including (President Vladimir) Putin."
Ukraine has demanded the creation of such a body since Russia's February 2022 invasion, accusing Russian troops of committing thousands of war crimes. It is also intent on prosecuting Russians for orchestrating the invasion.
The 46-member Council of Europe, set up after World War Two to uphold human rights and the rule of law, approved the tribunal in May, saying it was intended to be complementary to the International Criminal Court and fill legal gaps in prosecutions.
The ICC has issued an arrest warrant against Putin, accusing him of illegally deporting hundreds of children from Ukraine.
(Reporting by Ron Popeski; Editing by Nia Williams)
Ukraine and the Council of Europe signed an agreement to establish a special tribunal aimed at prosecuting senior Russian officials for war crimes.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset signed the accord in Strasbourg.
Ukraine has accused Russian troops of committing thousands of war crimes since Russia's invasion in February 2022.
The ICC has issued an arrest warrant against Putin, accusing him of illegally deporting hundreds of children from Ukraine.
Zelenskiy emphasized that the tribunal is a crucial step towards ensuring that every war criminal, including those from Russia, will face justice.
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