Overview

• Foreign ministers from nearly 20 EU nations and representatives from over 40 countries met in Lviv to finalize political support for a special tribunal addressing Russia’s crime of aggression against Ukraine.
• The tribunal, established under the Council of Europe, will prosecute 20-30 senior Russian officials responsible for planning and executing the invasion of Ukraine.
• Technical legal frameworks and statutes for the tribunal have been completed, with formal ratification by the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers scheduled for mid-May.
• Preparatory work, including recruitment of judges and staff, begins immediately, with the tribunal expected to start operations next year.
• The meeting also approved €1 billion in funding for Ukraine’s defense industry to bolster its warfighting capacity against ongoing Russian aggression.