Launch of special tribunal to investigate Russian crimes announced in Lviv on Europe Day

Espreso correspondent Iryna Davosyr reported the information.

Establishment of a special tribunal to investigate Russia’s crimes against Ukraine

The key event was the adoption of a political decision to create a special tribunal to investigate Russia’s crimes against Ukraine. During a meeting of the War Crimes Group coalition, which is working on establishing a special tribunal for senior Russian officials responsible for the killing of Ukrainians, mass destruction, and other war crimes, representatives of EU countries, the Council of Europe, and Ukrainian authorities adopted the Lviv Declaration. This declaration marks the beginning, and the future signing of an agreement between Ukraine and the Council of Europe will finalize the launch of the tribunal.

The tribunal concerns high-ranking Russian officials who made decisions about these crimes, including the so-called president of Russia, as well as the prime minister and the foreign minister of the Russian Federation.

As noted during the meeting in Lviv, the process of creating the tribunal has taken more than two years. An expert group was formed, and participants can still join it. The tribunal will be located in The Hague. Work on it will now begin with the Council of Europe, which will be the central element of the process.

Next week, a formal procedural approval of this process will take place in Luxembourg. After that, an agreement between the Council of Europe and Ukraine is planned to be signed. This will finalize the creation of the legal infrastructure for the tribunal. The tribunal is expected to begin its work in 2026.

EU officially announces its intention to allocate nearly 1.9 billion euros for military support to Ukraine

An agreement has been signed in Lviv to direct the second tranche of profits from frozen Russian assets to Ukraine. With these funds, the signatory countries will purchase weapons for Ukraine — this year, they plan to buy 2 million rounds of ammunition. The document was signed by the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas, together with representatives from Denmark, France, and Italy. On Monday, a forum will be held to determine the amount of additional aid for Ukraine.

Ukraine’s Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal called this decision historic, as weapons for Ukraine will be purchased with profits from frozen Russian assets through the European Peace Facility. One billion euros from this amount will be used to purchase weapons under the so-called “Danish model” — directly from Ukrainian manufacturers.

“In this way, we are not only strengthening our defense capabilities but also stimulating the economy and innovation in our defense-industrial complex. More than 600 million euros will be allocated for artillery and ammunition. Over 200 million euros will go to strengthening Ukrainian air defense,” Shmyhal added.

Ukraine’s path to the European Union

In addition, a meeting of the EU Council of Foreign Ministers took place in Lviv — an informal meeting where new sanctions against Russia, defense support, and Ukraine’s path to the European Union were discussed. In particular, it was mentioned that Kyiv’s goal for the year is to open negotiations on all six clusters in order to become part of the European Union immediately after the end of the war.

Zelenskyy joins Lviv meeting online

The press service of the President's Office reported the information.

“Russia must be held accountable for its aggression, just as the Nazis were,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said during an online speech at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Lviv.

“Russia must feel our shared – and most importantly, growing – strength. That’s what’s needed for peace. The desire to end this war has to grow inside Russia, and that begins with a feeling – the feeling that they are losing, losing from this war as any aggressor should,” the president emphasized.

Zelenskyy thanked everyone for supporting Ukraine and noted the symbolic timing of the meeting — coming as Ukraine marks 80 years since the defeat of Nazism and celebrates Europe Day.

“Today, right in front of you, is a decision – a decision to create a mechanism that can help prevent future wars – through accountability. A decision to create a tribunal. And I urge you to give this decision your political support. Russia must be held accountable for its aggression just as the Nazis were. A strong tribunal for the crime of aggression can – and must – make any potential aggressor think twice,” he added.

Politicians in Lviv on Europe Day honor those killed in Russia’s war against Ukraine

The leaders reported this on their pages on X.

"Today, we celebrate Europe Day with Ukraine and its people. Because in a family, both joys and hardships are shared. Together with Foreign Ministers, we stand united with Ukraine for a lasting peace. For the future we believe in," Kallas wrote.

Wadephul had previously published a video about his arrival in Ukraine: "We will do what is necessary, and we will do it for as long as necessary, until Russia realizes that this war must end, that we must sit down at the negotiating table, and that we must quickly and consistently adhere to the ceasefire regime."

Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal also took part in the meeting with European diplomats. According to him, a wide range of issues was discussed, including the situation at the front and defense needs. He thanked them for the initiative to allocate 1 billion euros for the Ukrainian defense industry, as well as for the initiative to increase military support for Ukraine in 2025.

Shmyhal expects that the provisions for the new SAFE instrument will be approved soon, which will allow Ukraine to participate in joint procurement of necessary defense products together with EU member states, both on the European market and directly from Ukrainian manufacturers.

The head of the Ukrainian government noted that the diplomats also separately addressed the issue of sanctions against Russia.

"We expect that the 17th package will be agreed upon and approved by European countries as soon as possible. It is necessary to increase pressure on the aggressor to force it to peace. We also count on further work regarding the confiscation of frozen Russian assets and their allocation for Ukraine's needs. I thank Kaja Kallas for her personal contribution to supporting our state. We value the solidarity of the European Union with Ukraine in this difficult time," the Prime Minister emphasized.

• President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met in Prague with Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala, representatives of the country's parliament, and heads of its leading defense enterprises. During the meetings, they discussed cooperation in the defense industry, energy, and the development of nuclear generation.