Zelenskyy says ‘there will be justice' as Ukraine, Council of Europe sign tribunal deal on Russian aggression
Ukraine and the Council of Europe signed an agreement on Wednesday to lay the groundwork for a special tribunal aimed at prosecuting senior Russian officials for the crime of aggression against Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset signed the accord in Strasbourg, where the human rights body is headquartered.
According to Reuters, Zelenskyy said during the ceremony:
'This is truly a very important step. Every war criminal must know there will be justice and that includes Russia… We are now boosting the legal work in a serious way.'
He further added:
'Today's agreement is just the beginning. We must take real steps to make it work. It will take strong political and legal cooperation to make sure every Russian war criminal faces justice, including [President Vladimir] Putin.'
The Council of Europe, a 46-member human rights body formed after World War II, approved the creation of the tribunal in May. It is designed to complement the work of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and to address legal gaps in holding top Russian leaders accountable.
The ICC has already issued an arrest warrant for President Putin, accusing him of overseeing the illegal deportation of hundreds of Ukrainian children to Russia.
Meanwhile, Russian Defence Minister Andrei Belousov warned that the flow of weapons and foreign fighters into Ukraine was raising the risk of wider European instability.
'Attempts to prolong military actions by supplying Ukraine with arms and mercenaries increase the threat of destabilisation — including in Europe itself,' Belousov said, as reported by Reuters citing the Interfax news agency.
In related developments, the heads of the European Union's 27 member states are scheduled to meet in Brussels today to discuss tougher sanctions on Russia, concerns over new US tariffs, and the region's role in ongoing Middle East conflicts.
According to the Associated Press, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy is expected to join the EU summit by videoconference. EU leaders will be considering an 18th round of sanctions against Russia and a potential extension of the price cap on Russian oil — though some members are concerned about the impact on energy prices.
Meanwhile, Russia's Defence Ministry said on Thursday that its air defence forces destroyed 50 Ukrainian drones overnight. Nearly half were intercepted over the Kursk region, while the rest were downed over various Russian territories, including three over the Moscow region, the ministry said on Telegram.
(With inputs from Reuters, AP)
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