On May 9, a significant meeting of the foreign ministers of the coalition countries working on the establishment of a special tribunal for Russia for crimes committed against Ukraine took place in Lviv. This coalition provided political approval for the formation of the tribunal, marking an important step in punishing the aggressor.
This is reported by Finway
In a joint statement published by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, the foreign ministers and other representatives of the participating states reaffirmed their commitment to the cause of justice, referencing the UN General Assembly Resolutions and the Vienna-Riga Declaration of the coalition dated November 22, 2024. The document states that:
- technical work on legal instruments for the establishment of the tribunal continues;
- the importance of the tribunal for holding accountable those responsible for crimes against Ukraine is confirmed;
- once established, the tribunal will adhere to international law and human rights;
- thanks were expressed to all who contributed to the preparation of legal documents;
- the central role of the Council of Europe in this process was emphasized.
The coalition called on other countries and international organizations to support the activities of the special tribunal. The next step will be a meeting of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe in Luxembourg on May 13-14, 2025.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal noted:
“Today, three historical events are taking place in Lviv. Truly historical. The first is the meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council of the EU member states. We discussed a number of issues concerning our common present and future. We reached an understanding and outlined the next steps in priority areas.”
The second important event was the signing of an agreement to direct a tranche of profits from frozen Russian assets to Ukraine. Shmyhal explained that this agreement was made between the EU, Denmark, France, and Italy, and it involves allocating funds from the European Peace Fund amounting to approximately 1 billion euros. The head of government emphasized that these funds will be used to purchase Ukrainian weapons, which will not only strengthen the country’s defense capabilities but also stimulate the development of its own defense industry.
“Thus, we will not only receive weapons and support. But we will also activate our own defense industry. We will elevate the capabilities of Ukrainian arms manufacturers to a new level,” he added.