EU allocates first funds for creation of special tribunal for putin and his associates

The European Union has allocated the first EUR 10 million for the creation of a Special Tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine. This was announced by the head of European diplomacy Kaja Kallas on Thursday, January 22.

"Today, the EU allocated the first EUR 10 million for the creation of a new Special Tribunal to prosecute russian leaders for their role in Moscow's war against Ukraine," Kallas wrote on X (Twitter).

She emphasized that the leadership of the aggressor country is responsible for this war, and it must be held accountable.

The Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine was established within the framework of the Council of Europe with a mandate to prosecute russian leaders. This step was taken because russia is not a party to the Rome Statute and its leadership cannot be prosecuted by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, in June 2025, Ukraine and the Council of Europe signed an agreement to establish a special tribunal for the crime of russian aggression. In July of the same year, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine ratified this agreement.

As a reminder, in May 2025, a coalition of 39 states (Core Group) officially supported the establishment of a special tribunal for the crime of russian aggression against Ukraine.

In early 2025, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine would work on a tribunal for russian dictator vladimir putin and his associates even after the hot phase of the war ended.