At the 135th Ministerial Session of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, held in the Moldovan capital, a landmark decision was adopted that lays the legal foundation for holding Russia’s top political and military leadership accountable.
More than 30 member states approved the establishment of an Enlarged Partial Agreement on the Steering Committee of the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine.
The adopted document is an “implementation agreement” — it goes beyond a political declaration and activates concrete mechanisms:
Institutional structure. A Steering Committee will be established to oversee the administrative, financial, and legal aspects of the future court’s operations.
International legitimacy. The European Union has officially joined the agreement, alongside Finland, Cyprus, Montenegro, and Romania. To date, 32 states have confirmed their participation.
Legal mandate. The Tribunal will focus specifically on the “crime of aggression,” enabling the prosecution of senior officials who enjoy immunity before other international bodies.
Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset stated in his address that the organization is building “judicial architecture where none existed before,” in order to uphold the rule of law and prevent impunity in the future.
The approval of the procedure in Chișinău marks the transition to a practical phase: staffing the tribunal, determining its physical location — The Hague has previously been discussed — and preparing indictments. Ukraine also expects the tribunal to examine the role of countries that provided direct support to Moscow in waging the war.