EU to approve special tribunal for Russia on May 9, says Kallas

This was announced on May 8 by the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas, as reported by European Pravda.

"Tomorrow, we will give final political approval for the establishment of a tribunal for war crimes and crimes of aggression. There will be no impunity. There will be accountability for the crimes committed," she said.

"The core group has reached agreement on a technical level regarding the creation of this tribunal. Now, we also have political approval. Therefore, this (the creation of a tribunal for the crime of aggression) will be done by the Council of Europe. The Secretary General of the Council of Europe will join us tomorrow via video conference," the diplomat added.

Kallas also announced that on May 9, the EU plans to announce the allocation of 1 billion euros for Ukraine's defense industry.

• On April 20, 2024, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe instructed the Secretary General to begin preparing documents that would facilitate consultations with Ukraine on the creation of a special tribunal for Russia’s crimes.
• In February 2025, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Alain Berset, expressed hope that the special tribunal for Russia would be launched later this year. For this, a structure must be created and resources provided.
• On March 21, Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha reported that the key legal documents for the creation of the tribunal for Russia were completed in Strasbourg.
• On May 5, the President's Office announced that the special tribunal for Russia could be operational as early as next year.