36 Nations Agree to Establish Special Tribunal to Try Putin for War Crimes
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – Over 30 countries, predominantly from Europe, have signed an agreement to establish a special tribunal to prosecute Russian President Vladimir Putin over alleged war crimes committed against Ukraine.
According to Euronews, the tribunal will be based in The Hague, Netherlands. The agreement was finalised during the annual meeting of Council of Europe foreign ministers on Friday local time.
The European human rights organisation is spearheading efforts to fill the jurisdictional gap left by the International Criminal Court (ICC), which cannot prosecute aggression crimes unless linked to a member state.
Ministers also approved the tribunal’s governance structure, including a management committee to oversee annual budgets, internal rules, and the selection of judges and prosecutors.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha described the move as an “irreversible turning point” in the long-standing pursuit of accountability for the war in Ukraine.
“The Special Tribunal is now a legal reality. Few believed this day would come. But it has,” Sybiha said on social media, quoted on Saturday, 30 May 2026.
“Putin has always wanted to be recorded in history. This tribunal will help him achieve that goal. He will be remembered in history – as a criminal,” he added.
The resolution was signed by 36 countries: Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom.
Australia and Costa Rica are the only non-European nations to have signed the agreement.
The European Union supports the initiative, although four member states – Bulgaria, Hungary, Malta, and Slovakia – did not join.
The list remains open for other European and non-European countries to join.
Council of Europe Secretary-General Alain Berset stressed the importance of funding and finalising regulations to enable the tribunal to operate promptly.
The EU has pledged an initial funding boost of €10 million.
Establishing the special tribunal has been an urgent priority for Ukraine and its allies since the Kremlin ordered the full-scale invasion in February 2022.
The initiative is deemed necessary because the ICC can only prosecute aggression crimes if linked to a member state. Russia is not a signatory to the Rome Statute and can use its UN Security Council veto to block any changes.
Unlike war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide, which apply to individuals committing atrocities, aggression is a leadership crime that targets those ultimately responsible for controlling the aggressor state.