LVIV, Ukraine — Foreign ministers from the EU, U.K. and Ukraine Friday launched a new tribunal to prosecute Russian officials responsible for war crimes against Ukraine.
That sends a grim counterpoint to Friday’s triumphalist Victory Day parade held by Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow to celebrate the 80th anniversary of defeating Nazi Germany — and marking a partial end to Russia’s diplomatic isolation.
The special tribunal comes amid continued attempts by the West to increase pressure on Putin to accept a ceasefire and work toward a peace deal with Ukraine. It also underlines the long-stated effort by Ukraine and its allies to punish those responsible for launching the unprovoked war.
On Thursday evening, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz agreed with U.S. President Donald Trump during a phone call “to work closely together with the aim of ending the war in Ukraine,” according to a German readout. After the call, Trump urged Putin to accept a 30-day ceasefire and said that if it was “not respected, the U.S. and its partners will impose further sanctions.”
The tribunal is set to be established under the legal framework of the Council of Europe — the non-EU body responsible for human rights in Europe. It will have its own prosecutors and judges. It can begin its work as soon as it is approved by two- thirds of member countries of the Council.
Putin and his colleagues, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, enjoy immunity while in office under international law and thus cannot be prosecuted immediately. However, the tribunal can gather evidence against them. It can also already prosecute other Russian officials, such as Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and people in the armed forces.
“Today, we have the political endorsement for this,” EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told reporters in Lviv, adding that the tribunal was a key step in developing international law.
“This is very important because without justice, you can’t have peace,” she said. “There has to be accountability.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy lauded the launch of the tribunal in his video address to foreign ministers, adding: “Russia must be held accountable for its aggression, just as the Nazis were.”
The special tribunal is supported by 42 countries — including all EU members except Hungary and Slovakia — the G7 countries, except the U.S. (which withdrew its support under the Trump administration) and other nations including Australia, Switzerland, Norway, Costa Rica and Guatemala.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul told reporters in Lviv that he is planning to hold a phone call with his U.S. counterpart Marco Rubio Friday evening, during which he “will extend an invitation to the U.S. to return and work alongside us to ensure that this judicial institution is created.”
Wadephul added: “It must not happen that this war, which violates international law, remains without consequences. Those who bear responsibility for it must also be held accountable by a legitimized court.”
Ukraine is planning to formally request the initiation of the special tribunal during the annual meeting of foreign ministers of the Council of Europe on May 14 in Luxembourg.
U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy also expressed his support for the tribunal, and urged Putin to accept the ceasefire proposed by Trump.
The Russian president, he added, “should understand that if he does not do that, then of course, he will meet the force of the international community with a severe package of sanctions.”
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