Ukraine, Council of Europe Sign Deal to Launch Special Tribunal on Russian Aggression

Ukraine and the Council of Europe signed a landmark agreement on Wednesday to establish a special tribunal aimed at prosecuting senior Russian officials for the crime of aggression in Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset signed the accord at the Council’s headquarters in Strasbourg, France.

“This is a very important step. Every war criminal must know there will be justice—including Russia,” Zelensky said during the signing ceremony. “We are now boosting legal efforts in a serious way.”

He stressed that while the agreement marks progress, much work remains. “Today’s agreement is just the beginning. We must take real steps to make it work. Strong political and legal cooperation is needed to ensure every Russian war criminal faces justice, including President Vladimir Putin.”

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, Ukraine has pushed for the creation of a tribunal to prosecute top Russian leaders for planning and waging the war, in addition to the thousands of war crimes it accuses Russian forces of committing.

The 46-member Council of Europe, established after World War II to uphold human rights and the rule of law, approved the tribunal in May. It will complement the International Criminal Court (ICC) by addressing legal gaps in holding state leaders accountable for aggression.

The ICC has already issued an arrest warrant for President Putin, accusing him of unlawfully deporting hundreds of Ukrainian children.