Overview

• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset signed the accord in Strasbourg to create a special tribunal for aggression charges.
• The court will be empowered to try senior Russian officials, potentially including President Vladimir Putin, for orchestrating the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
• The Hague has emerged as the leading candidate to host the tribunal due to its established legal infrastructure, though no final site decision has been made.
• An expanded agreement will invite more countries to join and help manage the tribunal before it undergoes ratification by Council of Europe members and Ukraine.
• Funding is secured from a core group of backers including the Netherlands, Japan and Canada, with proceedings slated to begin as early as next year.