Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Alain Berset, will sign an agreement on the establishment of a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine in Strasbourg on Wednesday 25 June.
The Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers today authorised Secretary General Berset to sign the agreement, which includes the Statute of the Special Tribunal.
“Justice for Ukraine will not wait,” said Secretary General Alain Berset, ahead of tomorrow’s signature with President Zelenskyy to establish the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine. “For the first time, a dedicated international tribunal is being created to address the crime of aggression. Established within the framework of the Council of Europe, this tribunal will hold to account those who have used force in violation of the UN Charter, applying international law without double standards and reaffirming that Europe’s security will not rest on silence or impunity — but on law, principle, and action.”
The Committee of Ministers has been finalising the legal texts underpinning the Special Tribunal since its establishment was requested by the Ukrainian authorities and endorsed by the annual meeting of Council of Europe foreign ministers in Luxembourg on 14 May 2025.
The Committee has also completed the groundwork for an Enlarged Partial Agreement enabling a wide range of parties – including members and non-members of the Council of Europe, as well as the European Union – to support and help manage the tribunal.
The Special Tribunal will be set up within the framework of the Council of Europe with the mandate to prosecute senior leaders for the crime of aggression against Ukraine. This crime refers to the decision to use armed force against another state, in violation of the United Nations Charter.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has the jurisdiction to investigate war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide in Ukraine. However, the ICC cannot currently examine the crime of aggression in this case due to jurisdictional limitations for the crime of aggression. The Special Tribunal will fill this gap.
The key legal documents underpinning the Special Tribunal can now be considered by parties interested in joining the Enlarged Partial Agreement. The Committee of Ministers will continue its discussions on this issue once states have indicated their desire to participate.
The Council of Europe’s priority work on Ukraine, a member state since 1995, includes the Register of Damage – which has already received more than 34,000 claims – and on-going work to establish both a Claims Commission and the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression.
The European Court of Human Rights is also the only international court adjudicating human rights violations in the context of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.
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Notes to editors
- The agreement will be signed by President Zelenskyy and Secretary General Berset at Council of Europe headquarters in Strasbourg at around 19:40 CEST (tbc) on Wednesday 25 June 2025.
- Journalists will be able to follow President Zelenskyy’s arrival at the Palais de l’Europe, where he will be greeted by Secretary General Berset, from a dedicated media zone on the first floor outside the hemicycle.
- The signature will be followed by a press conference given by Secretary General Berset, President Zelenskyy and Malta’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Ian Borg in the Committee of Ministers foyer on the second floor.
- The signature will not be open to the press, but broadcast-quality images will be available via the EBU and the Council of Europe’s Media Department.
- The signature will also be livestreamed via the Council of Europe website and its Facebook and YouTube channels.
- Media representatives wishing to attend the press conference in person should register in advance here.
- President Zelenskyy is expected to address the plenary session of the Parliamentary Assembly at around 20h40 CEST (tbc), after signing the Visitors’ Book in the lobby outside the Chamber together with PACE President Theodoros Rousopoulos. His address and Q&A will be livestreamed in six languages via the Assembly’s website and in original languages via its YouTube channel and available Live via the EBU. For further information, please contact the PACE Communication Division (+33 3 88 41 31 93).
FAQ on the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine
