**Ukraine and Council of Europe to Sign Historic Agreement on Russian Aggression Tribunal**
In a major breakthrough in the international effort to hold President Vladimir Putin accountable for the full-scale war against Ukraine, the Council of Europe and Ukraine will sign an agreement on June 25 to establish a special tribunal for the crime of Russian aggression.
The move marks a significant milestone in the pursuit of justice for the victims of Russia’s invasion. Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna stressed that the special tribunal will have jurisdiction over top Russian officials, including President Putin, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. “It is not a matter of debate anymore, only a matter of time,” she said. “Some will get into the hands of justice sooner, some later, but they will all be held accountable.”
The tribunal’s jurisdiction covers all aspects of the crime of aggression, including planning, preparation, initiation, or execution of acts of aggression. According to Stefanishyna, the tribunal’s design makes it clear that the official status of the accused at the time of the crime does not exempt them from responsibility. This means that high-ranking officials can be prosecuted even while holding office.
The agreement between Ukraine and the Council of Europe is a direct response to President Volodymyr Zelensky’s long-standing advocacy for a 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.
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. The special tribunal will be authorized to cooperate with the ICC to ensure jurisdictional effectiveness and share information.
This development is a significant step towards restoring international rule of law and preventing future acts of aggression. As Stefanishyna noted, “Functional immunity does not apply here; high-ranking officials can be prosecuted even while holding office.”
