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Countries establish Special Tribunal for crime of aggression against Ukraine

Countries establish Special Tribunal for crime of aggression against Ukraine

Rule Changes

Treaty-based court will target Russia's senior leadership from a base in The Hague

May 16th, 2026: Ukraine FM names defendants, calls for global expansion

Overview

For the first time since Nuremberg, a tribunal exists to prosecute heads of state for the crime of aggression. Thirty-six countries and the European Union signed the founding agreement on May 15 in Chisinau, Moldova.

The court targets Russia's senior leadership and Belarusian President Lukashenko. On May 16, Ukraine's foreign minister listed the names: Putin, Shoigu, Gerasimov, Bortnikov, Medvedev, and Lukashenko, calling them all recipients of 'their ticket to The Hague.' Four EU members, including Hungary, did not sign.

Why it matters

If the tribunal indicts Putin, any of the 36 signatory countries would be legally bound to arrest him on entry.

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Key Indicators

36
Signatory states
Plus the European Union. Hungary, Slovakia, Bulgaria, and Malta are the EU members that did not sign.
80 years
Since the last aggression tribunal
Nuremberg in 1945–46 was the only previous international court to prosecute the leadership crime of waging aggressive war.
4 years
Since the invasion began
Russia launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
1
Existing ICC warrant for Putin
Issued March 17, 2023, for unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children. The new tribunal addresses a separate charge.

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People Involved

Andrii Sybiha
Andrii Sybiha
Led Ukrainian delegation at the Chisinau signing
 Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Putin
Primary target of the new tribunal; subject to existing ICC arrest warrant
 Alain Berset
Alain Berset
Institutional steward of the new tribunal
 Sergei Lavrov
Sergei Lavrov
Named target; protected from in absentia trial while in office
 Alexander Lukashenko
Alexander Lukashenko
Named by Ukraine as a tribunal target for facilitating Russia's aggression

Organizations Involved

Council of Europe
Council of Europe
Intergovernmental organization
Created the legal framework for the tribunal

Europe's main human rights organization, separate from the European Union, with 46 member states.
International Criminal Court
International Criminal Court
Permanent international tribunal
Limited jurisdiction created the gap the tribunal fills

Permanent court that prosecutes individuals for genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and the crime of aggression.
Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression Against Ukraine
Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression Against Ukraine
Treaty-based international tribunal
Established May 15, 2026; not yet operational

Treaty-based court created to prosecute Russia's senior political and military leadership for the crime of aggression against Ukraine.

Timeline

February 2022 May 2026

8 events Latest: May 16th, 2026 · 1 month ago
Tap a bar to jump to that date

  1. Ukraine FM names defendants, calls for global expansion

    Latest Diplomatic

    Foreign Minister Sybiha named the primary targets — Putin, Shoigu, Gerasimov, Bortnikov, Medvedev, Patrushev, and Belarusian President Lukashenko — saying they had all received 'their ticket to The Hague.' Ukraine called on non-European states to join the coalition.

  2. 36 countries and EU sign tribunal agreement

    Treaty

    Foreign ministers gather in Chisinau and sign the agreement formally establishing the Special Tribunal in The Hague.

  3. Council of Europe approves draft statute

    Legal

    The Committee of Ministers signs off on the tribunal's founding text, opening it for state signatures.

  4. ICC issues arrest warrant for Putin

    Legal

    The International Criminal Court charges Putin with unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children. The warrant does not cover the invasion itself.

  5. Core Group of states begins formal work

    Diplomatic

    A group including Ukraine, EU, UK, and other allies begins meeting to design the tribunal's jurisdiction and structure.

  6. Council of Europe expels Russia

    Diplomatic

    Russia becomes the first country ever expelled from the Council of Europe over the invasion.

  7. First proposals for a special aggression tribunal

    Proposal

    Ukrainian officials and a group of international legal scholars publish detailed proposals for an ad hoc tribunal to try Russian leaders.

  8. Russia launches full-scale invasion of Ukraine

    Inciting event

    Russian forces cross into Ukraine from the north, east, and south. Putin announces the invasion in a pre-dawn televised address.

Historical Context

3 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

November 1945 - October 1946

Nuremberg Tribunal (1945-1946)

After Nazi Germany's defeat, the Allied powers established a tribunal in Nuremberg to try senior Nazi leaders. Twenty-four defendants faced charges including crimes against peace, the legal precursor to the modern crime of aggression.

Then

Twelve defendants were sentenced to death; seven received prison terms; three were acquitted.

Now

Nuremberg established the principle that planning and waging aggressive war could be prosecuted as an international crime, even by heads of state.

Why this matters now

The Ukraine tribunal draws directly on Nuremberg's framework. It targets the same leadership-level crime that Nuremberg prosecuted for the first time.

May 1993 - December 2017

International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (1993-2017)

The UN Security Council established an ad hoc tribunal in The Hague to prosecute serious crimes during the Balkan wars. It indicted 161 individuals, including sitting Serbian president Slobodan Milošević.

Then

Milošević was extradited in 2001 and died in his cell in 2006 before a verdict. The tribunal eventually convicted 90 individuals.

Now

ICTY proved a sitting head of state could be indicted by an international court. Its work fed directly into the International Criminal Court created in 2002.

Why this matters now

Like the Ukraine tribunal, ICTY was created to fill an accountability gap. It sat in The Hague and tried leaders whose home country refused to cooperate.

January 2002 - December 2013

Special Court for Sierra Leone (2002-2013)

A hybrid court created by treaty between the UN and Sierra Leone tried those most responsible for atrocities in the civil war. It indicted Liberian president Charles Taylor while he was still in office.

Then

Taylor was convicted in 2012 of aiding rebels who committed atrocities. He received a 50-year sentence.

Now

The court showed a sitting head of state could be removed from office and tried by an international body. Taylor was the first head of state convicted by an international court since Nuremberg.

Why this matters now

Sierra Leone shows the model the Ukraine tribunal hopes to follow: a treaty-based court with international backing, willing to indict sitting leaders.

Sources

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+1
Euronews Ukrinform Council of Europe Ukrainska Pravda Euromaidan Press EUalive Ukrainska Pravda