EU takes new steps to hold Russia accountable for war on Ukraine
The European Commission (EC) announced on May 15 a number of steps that it is taking to hold Russia accountable for that country’s war of aggression on Ukraine.
The EC said that on May 15, on behalf of the European Union, it joined the Enlarged Partial Agreement of the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine, the document setting out the institutional, financial, and administrative modalities of the Special Tribunal.
Following the May 15 decision, participating states and organisations will be able to ratify the Convention which will officially establish the Special Tribunal.
The Special Tribunal will have the power to investigate and prosecute senior Russian political and military leaders for the crime of aggression against Ukraine.
Today, the Commission also ratified, on behalf of the EU, the Convention establishing the International Claims Commission for Ukraine.
This body, of which the EU is now a founding member, will be responsible for reviewing, assessing, and determining claims for compensation for the damage, loss and injury caused by Russia to Ukraine and the Ukrainian people.
It will also be responsible for determining the amount of compensation due in each case. The Claims Commission will be able to start its work after it has gathered 25 ratifications with sufficient financial contributions.
The Commission is financially supporting the establishment of the Claims Commission and the Special Tribunal to ensure they can become fully operational as soon as they enter into force. This includes 10 million euro for the Tribunal and up to one million euro for the Claims Commission.
The Special Tribunal and the Claims Commission will be the fundamental international bodies ensuring full accountability for the international crimes, and compensation for damages, committed in Ukraine. The EU has played a leading role in their establishments, including in drafting the founding legal texts of the Special Tribunal. The founding texts of the Tribunal were politically endorsed by an international coalition of states and international organisations on May 9 2025.
The European Union is committed to supporting Ukraine and its people in their pursuit of justice and accountability, the EC said. It said that the Commission will continue to work with international partners to finalise the groundwork for the conclusion of the Enlarged Partial Agreement of the Special Tribunal. The Commission will then submit a proposal for the EU to become a founding member of the Tribunal.
In June, the signatories of the Convention establishing the Claims Commission will meet at technical level to prepare practical arrangements for the Claims Commission to launch its operations. The Convention will enter into force after 25 ratifications with sufficient financial contributions. The Claims Commission will then be able to start its work.
(Photo: European Parliament)
