Thu Jun 26 03:11:22 UTC 2025: ## Zelenskyy Signs Accord for Special Tribunal to Prosecute Russian Aggression
**KYIV, Ukraine** – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed an agreement with the Council of Europe on Wednesday to establish a special tribunal tasked with prosecuting top Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin, for the crime of aggression against Ukraine. The move marks a significant step in Ukraine’s efforts to hold Russia accountable for its full-scale invasion launched in February 2022.
“We need to show clearly, aggression leads to punishment, and we must make it happen together, all of Europe,” Zelenskyy stated after signing the accord with Council of Europe Secretary-General Alain Berset. He emphasized the need for “strong political and legal courage” to bring all Russian war criminals to justice.
While the International Criminal Court (ICC) has already issued an arrest warrant for Putin for alleged war crimes related to the illegal transfer of children from Ukraine, the ICC lacks jurisdiction to investigate the “crime of aggression.” The special tribunal aims to fill this gap, providing a mechanism to prosecute senior Russian leaders responsible for initiating and executing the invasion.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen previously stated the tribunal would “give Ukraine a path to justice for the top-level decision to invade its territory – a wrong that no other international court or tribunal can currently address.”
The location of the tribunal is yet to be finalized, but Zelenskyy suggested The Hague, home to the ICC, as a potential site. This marks the first time such a tribunal has been established under the auspices of the Council of Europe, the continent’s leading human rights organization.
The European Council has indicated the tribunal could also be used to prosecute individuals from North Korea and Belarus who aided Russia in its invasion.
The Council of Europe, comprised of 46 member states, including Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and Turkiye, expelled Russia following the invasion. In addition to the arrest warrant for Putin, the ICC is also pursuing the arrest of four top Russian commanders for allegedly targeting civilians in Ukraine. The establishment of this special tribunal represents a significant escalation in the international effort to hold Russia accountable for its actions in Ukraine.
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