Russia will answer for the war: an important decision has been made to create an international tribunal.

Special tribunal regarding Russian aggression: What happened?

On Europe Day, May 9, 2025, a meeting of the international coalition of states (Core Group) took place in Lviv, where the decision to create a special tribunal regarding the crime of Russian aggression against Ukraine was officially supported.

Meeting participants, including Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and representatives of the EU, the Council of Europe, and foreign ministers, supported the idea of creating the tribunal. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized the importance of holding Russia accountable for the war in a video address.

We have already chosen this path. Russia will be held accountable for this war. It is a moral obligation of Europe and everyone in the world who values human life.

According to the decision of the meeting participants, the tribunal will be established in The Hague and will aim to hold the leadership of Russia accountable. The project cost will be around one billion euros, and the court will consist of 15 judges for 9 years.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha stated that the documentary base for conducting trials is ready at this moment, confirming that there are no legal obstacles to initiating this action.

The next step will be a meeting of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe in Luxembourg, where the formal process of creating the tribunal will begin. It is expected that trials will start soon, with the first verdicts potentially being issued as early as 2026.