Ukraine signs deal with Council of Europe to set up Special Tribunal for Russian aggression

This was reported during a live broadcast on Espreso TV.

Secretary General of the Council of Europe Alain Berset signed the agreement on behalf of the Council.

President Zelenskyy called the signing "a truly very important step."

“Today we are launching the process of forming a tribunal for the Russian crime of aggression against Ukraine. Every war criminal should know: there will be justice. And this includes Russia. We are now stepping up legal efforts in a serious way. Much work still lies ahead. Politically, we’ve already made real progress. I thank the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe and everyone who shows leadership on this issue. Justice takes time, but it must prevail. This tribunal gives us a real chance to secure justice for the crime of aggression. We must show clearly: aggression leads to punishment. And we must achieve this together, across Europe,” Zelenskyy said.

He stressed that the tribunal creates a real path to holding Russia’s leadership accountable for crimes committed against Ukraine.

He also thanked President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Theodoros Rousopoulos for PACE’s efforts.

“We appreciate your attention to Ukraine and the important resolutions adopted. We will deliver justice together,” Zelenskyy added.

Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha thanked all international partners, especially the Council of Europe and its Secretary General Alain Berset, for making the agreement possible.

“This is a historic moment not only for Ukraine but also for global justice. Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine is the gravest breach of international law in Europe since WWII. For the first time in decades, the Special Tribunal will be launched to prosecute the crime of aggression. Putin and his accomplices must know that justice is inevitable,” he wrote on X.

Earlier, the President’s Office confirmed Zelenskyy’s visit to Strasbourg for the signing. It said Alain Berset would sign on behalf of the Council of Europe and that the document includes the Statute of the Special Tribunal.

It was expected that Zelenskyy would later address the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in an extended evening session and take questions from PACE members.