Europe Advances Nuremburg 2.0 Tribunal for Putin
On the same day the Russian government staged its annual May 9 military disinformation parade in Moscow, EU foreign ministers gathered in Lviv to finalize plans for a Special Tribunal aimed at prosecuting Russia’s top leadership for war crimes and atrocities in Ukraine.
Over 40 countries endorsed the completed legal framework required to launch the tribunal within the Council of Europe. The court would address a legal gap in international law, enabling prosecution for the decision to start the war — a crime currently outside the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court (ICC).
While the ICC has already issued an arrest warrant for President Vladimir Putin related to the unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children, it cannot pursue cases involving the core act of launching the invasion. The proposed tribunal would focus on this foundational offense, with 20 to 30 senior Russian officials expected to face prosecution.
Delegations from 35 countries and representatives of the Council of Europe, including EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, took part in the Lviv meeting, signaling broad international support for the tribunal’s establishment.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal called the development “important and symbolic,” especially as it coincided with Europe Day — a date Ukraine now observes instead of Soviet-style Victory Day celebrations.
The court, expected to be based either in Strasbourg or The Hague, would operate under the Council of Europe’s auspices. Investigators from Ukraine and multiple EU states have already begun collecting evidence.
Officials acknowledge that as long as Putin remains in office, he cannot be prosecuted due to international legal protections for sitting heads of state. However, other Russian officials not covered by such immunity could be tried even in absentia. If convicted, they may face life sentences and the seizure of assets — with proceeds potentially allocated to Ukraine’s reconstruction.
The tribunal, which has been under development for more than two years, is anticipated to launch formally in early 2026. Its creation marks another step in efforts to ensure legal accountability for what has become the most egregious act of military aggression in Europe since World War II.
Meanwhile, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), the nation’s leading counterintelligence agency, uncovered a Hungarian military intelligence network operating in Zakarpattia. And the Ukrainian forces advance in the Kharkiv region.