Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized the necessity of holding every Russian war criminal accountable, including Vladimir Putin, during a plenary session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Zelensky’s Address to PACE
“Today’s agreement to establish a tribunal is just the beginning. Now we must take real steps to make it work. Strong political cooperation is needed to ensure that every Russian war criminal is brought to justice, including Putin. This is the path we must take. From the very beginning to real charges and real sentences,” said Zelensky.
The President stressed that the establishment of a special tribunal is only the first step on the path to justice. In his opinion, The Hague is the best place to condemn and punish the crime of aggression committed by the Russian Federation against Ukraine.
Signing of the Tribunal Agreement
On June 25, Volodymyr Zelensky, together with the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Marija Pejčinović Burić, signed an agreement to establish a Special Tribunal to investigate the crime of aggression against Ukraine. This step became possible after the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe instructed Marija Pejčinović Burić to sign the document containing the Statute of the tribunal on June 24.
Earlier, in May, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe supported the idea of creating such a special tribunal. Additionally, on May 9 in Lviv, during a meeting of delegations from 35 European countries, a statement was signed regarding the necessity of its establishment. Among the signatories were foreign ministers, leaders of Ukraine, and the Council of Europe.
As early as February 2025, the European Commission reported that legal experts from the EU, the EU External Action Service, the Council of Europe, Ukraine, and 37 other states had created a legal framework for the establishment of a tribunal to investigate crimes of aggression against Ukraine.