Overview
- The European Union approved joining the Council of Europe’s Enlarged Partial Agreement, putting the bloc on track to become a co‑founder of a special tribunal on aggression once the pact is finalized.
- Foreign ministers plan to sign the agreement at the Council of Europe meeting in Chișinău on May 14–15, which would clear the way for the EU to sign and for the tribunal’s setup to begin.
- The tribunal’s mandate targets senior Russian political and military leaders, including the president, prime minister and foreign minister, with cases expected to cover about 30 officials.
- The court will sit in The Hague and begin with a “Skeleton Tribunal” to recruit judges, prosecutors and investigators, with judge selection slated to launch by the end of 2026 and work ramping up in 2027–2028 using evidence already compiled in the Netherlands.
- Liechtenstein confirmed it will join the pact, bringing the number of participating states to 25, underscoring growing support for a court focused on the crime of starting a war.