36 countries approve creation of special Ukraine tribunal to prosecute Russia
Key takeaways
- Thirty-four European states – along with Australia and Costa Rica – said Friday they would join a proposed special tribunal for Ukraine.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed an accord with the Council of Europe last year to create a legal body to prosecute the "crime of aggression" in the invasion Russia launched in 2022.
- Read moreRussia loses ground – but not the war – in Ukraine
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Thirty-four European states – along with Australia and Costa Rica – said Friday they would join a proposed special tribunal for Ukraine. The future legal body would allow Kyiv to prosecute Russia for a "crime of aggression" over its invasion.
By: FRANCE 24 Secretary General of the Council of Europe Alain Berset, Moldovan Foreign Minister Mihai Popsoi and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha are pictured ahead of the 135th Session of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, Chisinau, May 15, 2026. © Vladislav Culiomza, Reuters Thirty-four European states plus Australia, Costa Rica and the EU said Friday they would join a future special tribunal for Ukraine to prosecute Russia over its invasion of the country.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed an accord with the Council of Europe last year to create a legal body to prosecute the "crime of aggression" in the invasion Russia launched in 2022.