Thirty-six states, mostly European, have formally backed the creation of a special tribunal aimed at prosecuting Russian President Vladimir Putin over the crime of aggression linked to the war in Ukraine. Bulgaria is among four EU members that did not join the initiative, which will be headquartered in The Hague and was reported by Euronews.
The agreement was endorsed on May 15 during the annual meeting of foreign ministers of the Council of Europe, an institution focused on human rights and tasked with addressing legal gaps left by the International Criminal Court. The resolution sets out the tribunal’s structure, including a steering committee responsible for approving the budget, adopting internal rules, and selecting judges and prosecutors, while also committing participating states to safeguard judicial independence.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha described the development as a turning point in accountability efforts. “The special tribunal is becoming a legal reality. Few believed that this day would come. But it has,” he said, comparing the step to the Nuremberg trials. He also stated that Putin’s legacy would be defined by the tribunal, adding, “Putin has always wanted to go down in history. And this tribunal will help him achieve this. He will go down in history as a criminal.”
