At talks in Moldova, more than 30 countries have said they will join a future special tribunal for Ukraine prosecuting Russia over its invasion. How the body will force Russians to stand trial is not clear.
Thirty-four European countries plus Australia, Costa Rica and the European Union as an entity on Friday signed up to a future special tribunal that will seek to prosecute Russia for crimes committed during its invasion of Ukraine.
The plan has been in the works since soon after Russia's full scale invasion in 2022, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed an agreement with the Council of Europe last year seeking to implement it.
Most of the 46 member states of the Council of Europe, a France-based body focused on safeguarding human rights and democracy with a larger membership than the EU that's not to be confused with the European Council, approved a resolution laying the groundwork for the future tribunal, the Council said in a statement. Ukraine is a member state.
"The time for Russia to be held to account for its aggression is fast approaching," the organization's secretary general Alain Berset said. "The special tribunal represents justice and hope. Action now needs to be taken to follow up on this political commitment by securing the tribunal's functioning and funding."
