During the Ministerial meeting of the Council of Europe in Chișinău, 36 states and the European Union signed the Agreement on the Management Committee of the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine.
The signed agreement defines the composition, powers, and procedures of the tribunal’s governing body. It will be responsible for the organizational launch of the institution, including the formation of its budget, structure, and internal rules. The document provides the legal basis for the transition from the preparatory phase to the full functioning of the tribunal.
The Special Tribunal is being established to hold the senior military and political leadership of Russia accountable for the crime of aggression against Ukraine. The International Criminal Court does not have jurisdiction over this crime with respect to states that are not parties to it. That is why an international coalition has developed a separate mechanism.
“Signing this agreement is a concrete legal step that makes the launch of the tribunal irreversible. Now there is both the political will of the coalition and the necessary legal framework,” said Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Iryna Mudra.
Since February 2026, the Advance Team has been operating to support the organizational preparation of the institution. The next steps include forming the judicial panel, approving procedural rules, and initiating investigations. The tribunal will be based in The Hague under the Council of Europe and will have the status of an international organization.