During the 13th meeting of the Core Group countries on the establishment of a special tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine, participants approved the draft statute of the tribunal and reached an agreement to launch it through a bilateral accord between Ukraine and the Council of Europe.

Source: a European official involved in the Core Group meeting speaking to European Pravda journalist

Details : The meeting, held on 3-4 February in Brussels, led to significant decisions regarding the tribunal. The official said that a special tribunal for prosecuting the crime of aggression, primarily targeting Russian leader Vladimir Putin, will be created based on an agreement between Ukraine and the Council of Europe. The tribunal will be structured as an enlarged partial agreement, enabling other countries to join later.

Quote: "Experts at this week's Core Group session approved the draft statute of the special tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine. Essentially, it is a tribunal targeting Putin. The tribunal will be based on an agreement that Ukraine will sign with the Council of Europe. This agreement will allow other states to join under the framework of an enlarged partial agreement." 

Details : The model mirrors the creation of the Register of Damages caused by Russia’s war against Ukraine, a joint initiative of Ukraine and the Council of Europe. The register is a critical component of Ukraine’s broader compensation mechanism, which has already attracted participation from 43 countries and the European Union.

The Council of Europe will play a pivotal role in establishing the tribunal. This is reflected in the presence of Alain Berset, Secretary General of the Council of Europe, at the meeting. He conducted negotiations with EU Commissioner Michael McGrath, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas and Iryna Mudra, Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine.

Quote: "To establish the tribunal, a decision by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe is necessary. This decision requires only a two-thirds majority, making it relatively straightforward to achieve. Once approved, other countries will be able to join the enlarged partial agreement." 

More details:Another high-ranking EU official, speaking anonymously to European Pravda, revealed that the 14th and final Core Group meeting will take place in Kyiv in April 2025. During this session, the statute of the tribunal will be definitively approved and a clear roadmap for its creation will be announced.

Background:

• Discussions on a special tribunal to hold Russia accountable for its crime of aggression have been ongoing since 2022. However, tangible progress had been slow until recently.
• Previously, the coalition of states working on the tribunal agreed on key parameters, including its jurisdiction and outlined a detailed roadmap with specific next steps for its establishment.

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