New Milestone in Ratification: Special Tribunal for Ukraine

The Verkhovna Rada has passed a new law concerning the ratification of the agreement between Ukraine and the Council of Europe to establish a special tribunal for addressing the crimes of aggression against Ukraine.

This information was shared by MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak via Telegram.

Bill No. 0328 received support from 323 deputies.

This legislative act ratifies the agreement signed on June 25, 2025, in Strasbourg, France, regarding the formation of a special tribunal to investigate crimes of aggression.

The explanatory note indicates that the ratification of the agreement will initiate the legal process for establishing the institutional framework for the tribunal, including defining its location, developing internal regulations, and involving other countries in the extended partial agreement that forms the basis for the tribunal's functioning.

Approval of this document will also facilitate the completion of all internal procedures in Ukraine for the agreement to come into effect, allowing for the creation of a special tribunal to conduct independent and impartial investigations, criminal prosecutions, and judicial proceedings against high-ranking officials involved in the crime of aggression against Ukraine.

On June 25, President Volodymyr Zelensky signed the agreement in the Palace of Europe in Strasbourg regarding the establishment of a special tribunal for Russia's aggression against Ukraine.

According to Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, the tribunal will operate as an independent international institution within the Council of Europe. Its statute does not mention personal immunities, meaning that even top officials from Russia, including President Putin, can be held accountable.

On July 1, a draft law on ratification of the agreement to establish a special tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine was submitted to the Verkhovna Rada.