A special international tribunal to prosecute the crime of aggression committed by Russia against Ukraine will be launched next week in Luxembourg, coinciding with the upcoming session of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe.

The announcement was made by Luxembourg’s Foreign Minister, Xavier Bettel, Caliber.Az reports, citing Ukrainian media.

“The tribunal will be launched next week in Luxembourg, where the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe will hold its meeting. At that time, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister will formally present the official requests,” Bettel said, confirming his country’s role in facilitating the process.

According to Bettel, the session will also include the official handover of documentation necessary to establish the tribunal. The event is scheduled to take place on May 13–14, and is expected to mark a major procedural milestone in the formal establishment of a tribunal to hold Russia’s leadership accountable for its war of aggression against Ukraine.

Responding to questions from journalists about the United States’ limited involvement in the tribunal process, Bettel stressed that the initiative is being pursued under the Council of Europe framework, of which the US is not a member. “This will make the geographic coordination more complicated,” he acknowledged.

Asked whether the launch of the tribunal might hinder or complicate peace negotiations with Russia, Bettel expressed doubt that such proceedings would alter President Vladimir Putin’s stance. “Even now, Putin listens to no one,” he remarked. “Even if he were to be arrested, he continues to receive congratulatory messages from countries that belong to international organisations we support. These states fail to uphold what they themselves have signed. Whether this will exert real pressure remains to be seen.”

The tribunal initiative is being championed by Ukraine as an alternative to action by the International Criminal Court (ICC), which has already issued six arrest warrants against members of Russia’s military and political elite. However, the ICC does not have jurisdiction over crimes of aggression committed by Russian officials, as Russia has not ratified the Rome Statute.

Ukraine has therefore led an international push to establish a separate legal mechanism to pursue this specific crime. As of now, 44 countries have joined a coalition to support the establishment of the tribunal.

On May 9, the coalition of participating countries held a meeting in Lviv to advance the tribunal effort. During that gathering, several European foreign ministers and senior EU officials expressed strong political support for launching the tribunal.

By Tamilla Hasanova

Source: caliber.az