Overview
- The European Commission, which on Wednesday proposed that the EU join as a founder, said the bloc would take a seat on the tribunal’s steering committee if governments sign off.
- The court, created within the Council of Europe framework, would try senior Russian political and military leaders for the crime of aggression against Ukraine.
- Ukraine welcomed the move, as Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha urged swift approval by the EU Council and quick accession by member states.
- The EU helped draft the tribunal’s legal texts, which an international coalition endorsed on May 9, 2025, and it has contributed €10 million to the group preparing the court’s operations.
- Setting the tribunal to work still requires formal approvals, more funding, and staffing, which advocates say are needed to deliver justice for victims in places such as Bucha, Mariupol, and Izium.