Ukraine and the Council of Europe’s human rights organization have formalized an agreement aimed at establishing a special tribunal designed to hold senior Russian officials accountable for the aggression against Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset signed the agreement in Strasbourg, France, at the Council’s headquarters.
“This is an incredibly significant milestone. Every war criminal must understand that justice will prevail, and this includes Russia. We are now significantly enhancing our legal efforts,” Mr. Zelensky stated during the ceremony.
“The journey ahead is long. Today’s agreement marks only the beginning. We must take tangible actions to ensure it succeeds. Strong political and legal cooperation will be essential to ensure that every Russian war criminal, including (President Vladimir) Putin, is brought to justice.”
The 46-member Council of Europe, established post-World War II to promote human rights and the rule of law, endorsed the tribunal in May, indicating it is meant to complement the International Criminal Court and address legal gaps in prosecutions.
The ICC has issued an arrest warrant for Mr. Putin, accusing him of unlawfully deporting numerous children from Ukraine.
Watch: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky discusses Russian aggression at the Council of Europe
Mr. Berset mentioned that the next phase in establishing the tribunal would involve a broader agreement to “invite the maximum number of countries to join, support, and help manage the tribunal.”
The location of the tribunal has yet to be determined.
“International law must apply universally, without exceptions or double standards,” remarked Mr. Berset.
This marks the first occasion that such a tribunal has been established under the auspices of the Council of Europe, the leading human rights body in Europe.
The 46-member Council of Europe is independent from the EU, comprising significant non-EU European nations such as Turkey, the UK, and Ukraine.
Russia was expelled following its invasion of Ukraine.
According to the Council of Europe, the tribunal will operate within the organization’s framework “with the authority to prosecute senior leaders for the crime of aggression against Ukraine.”
It stated that the tribunal “addresses the gap” resulting from the ICC’s “jurisdictional limitations.”
Meanwhile, the Kremlin indicated there had been no advancements in scheduling the next round of peace talks with Ukraine, as reported by the Interfax news agency.
Another agency, TASS, quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as stating that Russia supports ongoing US efforts to mediate.
After more than three years of hiatus, Russia and Ukraine resumed face-to-face discussions in Istanbul on May 16 and June 2, resulting in several prisoner exchanges and the return of deceased soldiers’ remains.
However, there has been no progress toward a ceasefire, which Ukraine, with support from the West, has been advocating for.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky and European Council Secretary General Alain Berset
Russian Defence Minister Andrei Belousov asserted that increased European supplies of arms and mercenaries to Ukraine have heightened the risk of destabilization in Europe, according to Interfax.
“Efforts to prolong military actions by supplying Ukraine with arms and mercenaries escalate the threat of destabilization, including within Europe itself,” Mr. Belousov was quoted as saying.
Russian airstrikes resulted in one fatality and two injuries in Ukraine’s southern Kherson region, local authorities reported.
One individual died due to a strike on the village of Tavriyske, as noted by the region’s governor, Oleksandr Prokudin, via Telegram.
Guided munitions struck a residential building, injuring another man, age 34, reported Kherson’s military administration.
In the Korabelny district, Russian bombing overnight resulted in injuries to a woman in her 70s, according to Kherson council’s report on Telegram.
People clearing debris in the aftermath of a Russian artillery strike in the Korabelny district this week
Meanwhile, Russian air defense units claimed to have destroyed 50 Ukrainian drones overnight, according to the Russian defense ministry.
Nearly half of the drones were intercepted over the Kursk region bordering Ukraine, while others were downed across various Russian territories, including three in the Moscow area, the ministry stated.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, using the Telegram messaging app, noted that specialists were investigating debris found on the ground.
Moscow’s Vnukovo International Airport temporarily suspended both departures and arrivals in response to the threat, as reported by news agencies citing aviation regulator Rosaviatsiya. Similar restrictions were briefly implemented at airports along the Volga River.
On the diplomatic front, discussions remain stalled despite pressure from the United States.
Kyiv has accused Moscow of intentionally undermining a peace agreement to extend its full-scale offensive and seize more territory.
Russia currently occupies around one-fifth of Ukraine and asserts that it has annexed four Ukrainian regions since initiating its invasion in 2022, in addition to Crimea, which it annexed in 2014.
