In the capital of Moldova, Chișinău, 36 states and the European Union have agreed to establish a steering committee for the Special Tribunal on the crime of aggression against Ukraine. This decision marks an important step in building an international mechanism to hold those responsible for launching the war against Ukraine to account.
This was reported by Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Iryna Mudra, who emphasized that just a few years ago the creation of such a tribunal seemed unlikely due to legal complexities, political sensitivity, and differing positions among partner states.
She noted that the process involved lengthy negotiations during which Ukrainian lawyers, diplomats, and parliamentarians repeatedly faced dead ends, but each time found new approaches and continued advancing the initiative.
The role of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy was also highlighted, whose consistent position, political determination, and international diplomatic efforts were key factors in uniting partners around the establishment of the Special Tribunal.
For the first time since the Nuremberg and Tokyo trials, a separate international mechanism is being created that will focus specifically on accountability for the crime of aggression. The next stage will involve establishing the tribunal in The Hague, appointing judges, defining procedures, and launching investigations.
The Ukrainian side expects the tribunal to begin practical operations as early as next year. This decision is seen as an important step toward restoring international justice and ensuring accountability for those who started the war against Ukraine.
Photo: from the Facebook page of the Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Iryna Mudra.