Latest news with #CoreGroup
Los Angeles Times
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
What is the special tribunal for Ukraine that world leaders have backed?
KYIV, Ukraine — Some 40 world leaders announced their support Friday for the creation of a new international court to prosecute those most responsible for Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The special tribunal aims to target senior Russian leaders for the 'crime of aggression,' which underpins the countless war crimes Ukraine accuses Russian forces of committing since the start of the war in 2022. Because Russia is not a member of the International Criminal Court, it cannot prosecute Russian President Vladimir Putin and other senior leaders for starting the conflict. Ukrainian and European leaders came up with the special tribunal as an alternative way to hold Russian leaders to account. The court will be formed following a joint agreement between Ukraine and the Council of Europe, the continent's top human rights organization. Since early in the conflict, Kyiv has been pushing for the creation of a special tribunal that goes beyond prosecuting war crimes that Ukraine alleged Russian forces committed — including bombing civilian infrastructure, killing civilians, rape, taking hostages and torture. Russia denies those claims. 'If we want true justice, we should not look for excuses and should not refer to the shortcomings of the current international law but make bold decisions that will correct those shortcomings that unfortunately exist in international law,' Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said during a visit to the Netherlands in 2023. Similar special tribunals were established after World War II, the Balkan wars sparked by the disintegration of the former Yugoslavia and the 1994 Rwandan genocide. The institution will be funded by the countries who back it, known as the Core Group, including the Netherlands, Japan and Canada. The United States had backed the project under former President Biden, but President Trump's administration did not support the initiative. On Friday, Ukraine's Foreign Ministry said in a joint statement with foreign ministers from some 40 countries that technical legal work necessary to establish the tribunal is complete. It added that the court will be formalized at a Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe in Luxembourg later this month. The statement was agreed to in the presence of EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas in Lviv, in western Ukraine. Once established the tribunal will focus on prosecuting Russian leaders most responsible for the full-scale invasion of Ukraine that began in 2022. Kyiv has been pushing for the creation of a special tribunal since early in the conflict. The legal framework for the project was agreed on by leaders in February. The crime of aggression is the planning and execution of a large-scale military invasion of another country. 'The crime of aggression is sometimes referred to as the 'mother of all other crimes' because it precedes all of the other crimes, war crimes, crimes against humanity, even genocide,' Iva Vukusic, an international law expert at the University of Utrecht, told the Associated Press. 'You don't prosecute foot soldiers for aggression,' she added. The tribunal plans to pursue cases against around 20 to 30 high-ranking officials. A dozen Nazi leaders including Hermann Göring and Rudolf Hess were convicted of what was then called 'a crime against peace' during the Nuremberg trials following World War II. That was the last time anyone has been convicted of aggression. International law grants the so-called troika — consisting of a country's head of state, head of government and foreign affairs minister — immunity from prosecution while they are in office. However, the tribunal could initiate proceedings against Putin and wait until he leaves office to move forward with a trial. There is no statute of limitation on the crime of aggression. The court will have the power to hold trials in absentia, though anyone convicted without being in the custody of the tribunal would have the right to a retrial. The move to create a special tribunal aims to fill a void created by limitations on the International Criminal Court. While The Hague-based court can go after Russian nationals for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity, it cannot prosecute Russians for orchestrating the invasion itself. The 2002 Rome Statute that created the court was amended in 2010 to include the crime of aggression — but only for countries that have joined the court. The Russian Federation is not a member state. The court has issued an arrest warrant for Putin for war crimes, accusing him of personal responsibility for the abductions of children from Ukraine, as well as five other officials. The Hague, already home to the ICC, the top court of the United Nations and other judicial institutions, has been suggested as a location but a final decision has not yet been made. The city is already home to the International Center for Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression, which supports evidence-gathering and is overseen by the European Union's judicial cooperation agency, Eurojust. The Council of Europe-backed register of damages, which allows Ukrainian victims of war to catalog the financial harm they have suffered, is also based in the Netherlands. Backers are hopeful the institution will be up and running by early next year. Quell and Kullab write for the Associated Press.
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Preparation for tribunal against Putin under Council of Europe completed
The group of states (Core Group) working on the establishment of a special tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine has finalised the technical and legal documents required to launch it under the Council of Europe. Source: Alain Berset, Secretary General of the Council of Europe, following the Core Group meeting in Strasbourg from 19 to 21 March, as reported by European Pravda Details: As a result of the meeting, the Core Group completed technical work on three draft documents: a draft bilateral agreement between Ukraine and the Council of Europe on the establishment of the special tribunal, a draft statute of the tribunal and a draft expanded partial agreement on the tribunal's management. These three documents will now be submitted for political consideration by the participating states. Berset welcomed "the successful outcome of the Core Group's meeting". Quote: "I welcome the successful outcome of the Core Group's meeting and the finalisation of the necessary technical legal documents for the establishment of the Special Tribunal within the framework of the Council of Europe." Details: Berset stated that the Council of Europe is ready for the rapid launch of the tribunal and urged states to "demonstrate the political will to ensure" its creation. Discussions for establishing a special tribunal for Russia over the crime of aggression have been ongoing since 2022, as there is currently no international court with jurisdiction over this crime. However, no meaningful progress has been made in a long time. Background: On 4 February 2025, during the 13th meeting of the Core Group countries on the establishment of a special tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine, participants approved the draft statute of the tribunal and reached an agreement to launch it through a bilateral accord between Ukraine and the Council of Europe. Read more about the plans to establish the tribunal in an interview with Alain Berset: Tribunal on Russian aggression to start in 2025, no objections from Trump – interview Support Ukrainska Pravda on !
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Europe fears US refusal to support "tribunal for Putin", The Telegraph reports
European states believe that the refusal of the new US administration to call Russia an aggressor may signal their withdrawal from the group of countries preparing a special tribunal for the crime of Russian aggression against Ukraine. Source: The Telegraph, as reported by European Pravda Details: The Western officials interviewed by The Telegraph say that US representatives refused to name Russia as the aggressor at a meeting of the Core Group, a group of countries preparing a special tribunal for Russia. A diplomatic note viewed by The Telegraph shows that European officials were "shocked" by US statements at a number of international meetings that Russia should be invited back into the "civilised world". This position has called into question preparations for the group's final meeting in March. Quote from one of The Telegraph's sources: "Unless they [the US – ed.] acknowledge it's an aggression, they can't participate." Details: Another called the scenario of the US withdrawal from the Core Group "quite a drastic shift". "Rewriting history and pretending that Russia wasn't the one who started this war is something that we simply cannot and will not agree to," he added. The Telegraph notes that European capitals are currently holding talks on the possible "collapse" of the special tribunal if the United States withdraws from it. Background: Media reported that the US side had for the first time opposed calling Russia an aggressor in a joint G7 statement being prepared for the third anniversary of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine. The US does not know whether it will support the UN resolution condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Telegraph
21-02-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Trump to abandon Russia war crimes prosecution
The United States has signalled it could leave an international effort to prosecute Russia for invading Ukraine, The Telegraph can reveal. US envoys refused to label Russia as an 'aggressor' at a meeting of a 'Core Group' of countries preparing a Nuremberg-style tribunal to try Vladimir Putin for his war crimes, according to Western officials. Washington is similarly refusing to co-sponsor a United Nations statement that supports Ukraine's territorial integrity and demands Moscow to withdraw its forces from the war-torn nation. Mr Trump's administration has also refused to sign off on a planned G7 statement calling Russia the 'aggressor' in the war with Ukraine to mark the third anniversary of the conflict on Monday. The US president has blamed Ukraine for starting the war, branded Volodymyr Zelensky a 'dictator' and pushed for Russia to be invited back to the alliance of industrialised nations. European officials fear Mr Trump's flattery of Putin could lead to the Russian despot being let off the hook for his invasion as part of any peace settlement. This stance has put preparations for the final meeting of the 'Core Group' next month in doubt. The group is leading a 40-nation coalition to form a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine, modelled on the response to Nazi war crimes after the Second World War. It would involve the US and other countries joining Ukraine to grant jurisdiction to a dedicated criminal tribunal to investigate both the perpetrators of the crime of aggression and those complicit in that crime. The crime of aggression cannot be prosecuted by the International Criminal Court in the Hague. 'Unless they acknowledge it's an aggression, they can't participate,' an official said of US opposition to the labelling of Russia as an aggressor. Losing Washington' s backing for the tribunal will be a major blow to the project's international reputation and standing. 'This is quite a drastic shift,' a European diplomat told The Telegraph. 'Rewriting history and pretending that Russia wasn't the one who started this war is something that we simply cannot and will not agree to.' The US has not yet officially withdrawn from the scheme and is expected to attend its next meeting next month in Strasbourg, France. A diplomatic note seen by The Telegraph revealed that European officials were 'shocked' at US claims at a series of international meetings that Russia should be invited back into the 'civilised world'. European capitals are now holding talks over a possible collapse of the special tribunal if the US does walk away as feared. The latest US position marks a significant shift in policy between Joe Biden and Mr Trump. The former president had branded Putin a 'war criminal' and signed off on a series of international statements which described Russia as the aggressor state. Washington is now pushing for the almost three-year war to be called the 'Ukraine conflict' in discussions with international allies. A State Department readout of the meeting between Marco Rubio, the US state secretary, and Sergei Lavrov, Russia's foreign minister, twice described the war as 'the conflict in Ukraine'.
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump to abandon Russia war crimes prosecution
The United States has signalled it could leave an international effort to prosecute Russia for invading Ukraine, The Telegraph can reveal. US envoys refused to label Russia as an 'aggressor' at a meeting of a 'Core Group' of countries preparing a Nuremberg-style tribunal to try Vladimir Putin for his war crimes, according to Western officials. Washington is similarly refusing to co-sponsor a United Nations statement that supports Ukraine's territorial integrity and demands Moscow to withdraw its forces from the war-torn nation. Mr Trump's administration has also refused to sign off on a planned G7 statement calling Russia the 'aggressor' in the war with Ukraine to mark the third anniversary of the conflict on Monday. The US president has blamed Ukraine for starting the war, branded Volodymyr Zelensky a 'dictator' and pushed for Russia to be invited back to the alliance of industrialised nations. European officials fear Mr Trump's flattery of Putin could lead to the Russian despot being let off the hook for his invasion as part of any peace settlement. This stance has put preparations for the final meeting of the 'Core Group' next month in doubt. The group is leading a 40-nation coalition to form a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine, modelled on the response to Nazi war crimes after the Second World War. It would involve the US and other countries joining Ukraine to grant jurisdiction to a dedicated criminal tribunal to investigate both the perpetrators of the crime of aggression and those complicit in that crime. The crime of aggression cannot be prosecuted by the International Criminal Court in the Hague. 'Unless they acknowledge it's an aggression, they can't participate,' an official said of US opposition to the labelling of Russia as an aggressor. Losing Washington' s backing for the tribunal will be a major blow to the project's international reputation and standing. 'This is quite a drastic shift,' a European diplomat told The Telegraph. 'Rewriting history and pretending that Russia wasn't the one who started this war is something that we simply cannot and will not agree to.' The US has not yet officially withdrawn from the scheme and is expected to attend its next meeting next month in Strasbourg, France. A diplomatic note seen by The Telegraph revealed that European officials were 'shocked' at US claims at a series of international meetings that Russia should be invited back into the 'civilised world'. European capitals are now holding talks over a possible collapse of the special tribunal if the US does walk away as feared. The latest US position marks a significant shift in policy between Joe Biden and Mr Trump. The former president had branded Putin a 'war criminal' and signed off on a series of international statements which described Russia as the aggressor state. Washington is now pushing for the almost three-year war to be called the 'Ukraine conflict' in discussions with international allies. A State Department readout of the meeting between Marco Rubio, the US state secretary, and Sergei Lavrov, Russia's foreign minister, twice described the war as 'the conflict in Ukraine'. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
