NGO “Tribunal” Applauds Signing of Agreement Between Ukraine and the Council of Europe to Launch Special Tribunal

Kyiv, 25 June 2025 — NGO “Tribunal” welcomes today’s signing of the agreement between Ukraine and the Council of Europe to establish a Special Tribunal for the crime of aggression committed by the Russian Federation. The ceremony took place in Strasbourg, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić formalizing the accord.

President Zelenskyy stated: “Today's agreement and this tribunal give us a real chance to secure justice for the crime of aggression. We must clearly show: aggression leads to punishment. And we have to do this together, across all of Europe.”

He emphasized that all those responsible – from generals to President Putin – must be held accountable: “The Hague awaits the perpetrators.”

[Photo by Office of the President of Ukraine]

NGO “Tribunal” underlines that this historic step is the result of three years of tireless work by a broad coalition of committed actors — including diplomats, legal scholars, parliamentarians, and civil society organizations from Ukraine and abroad. NGO representatives played a key role in shaping legal arguments, advocating internationally, and maintaining public pressure to ensure justice would not be delayed or denied.

“Today’s achievement is not only a diplomatic success, but a victory for global civil society. NGOs and advocacy groups like ours were among the first to call for a Special Tribunal in early 2022 — and we have stood firm, every step of the way,” said Oleg Yatsura, Director of NGO ‘Tribunal’.

Secretary General Burić noted that negotiations on an extended partial agreement will soon begin, enabling more countries to participate in supporting and governing the tribunal.

Yevheniya Kravchuk, a member of Ukraine’s delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, highlighted: “The agreement is already a working legal tool. The Special Tribunal will complement the work of the ICC, which currently does not have jurisdiction over the crime of aggression by Russia.”