Council of Europe backs special tribunal for Russian aggression against Ukraine

The Council of Europe on May 14 approved the creation of a special tribunal to prosecute Russia's top leadership for the crime of aggression against Ukraine, Ukrainian lawmaker Maria Mezentseva reported.

The decision marks a milestone in international efforts to hold Russian President Vladimir Putin and other senior officials accountable for launching the full-scale war against Ukraine.

"The decision was made in Luxembourg as part of the annual meeting of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe," Mezentseva, who chairs Ukraine's delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), wrote on Telegram.

European foreign ministers gave political approval to the tribunal, which will operate under the auspices of the Council of Europe, during a meeting in Lviv on May 9.

President Volodymyr Zelensky has long advocated for the tribunal to ensure that Putin and other senior Russian officials face justice for launching the invasion three years ago.

Ukrainian prosecutors have documented thousands of war crimes committed by Russian forces, including attacks on civilians, cultural and medical sites, and acts of torture and deportation.

While war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide can be prosecuted against individuals at any level, the crime of aggression applies exclusively to state leaders responsible for planning and waging a war.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has already issued arrest warrants for Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, the Russian official overseeing the forced deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia.