Europe announces establishment of tribunal for Russia's crimes of aggression

EU foreign ministers meeting in Ukraine announced the establishment of a special court to try Russian President Vladimir Putin and other individuals for crimes of aggression.

According to Reuters, on May 9, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaya Kalas and EU foreign ministers met in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv and announced the establishment of a special court to try Russia for crimes of aggression, with the approval of about 40 countries.

The special court, which would be authorized to prosecute and try Russian government and military officials, is expected to be established in 2026 under the auspices of the Council of Europe and the international body responsible for monitoring human rights abuses in Europe.

However, under international law, the special court cannot indict a sitting head of state. Therefore, at this stage, it can only carry out investigations and gather evidence. The United States, although it has previously expressed support for the establishment of a special court, did not appear on the list of countries that have approved the establishment of a special court this time.

The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Putin in March 2023 for the illegal transfer of Ukrainian children to Russia and war crimes. At the time, Russia argued that the court's arrest warrant for Putin was invalid because it was not a member of the International Criminal Court.