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34 Nations Join Tribunal to Try Putin for Ukraine Invasion

5/16/2026

Summary

34 Nations Join Tribunal

Thirty-four states, Australia, Costa Rica and the EU pledged to join a tribunal prosecuting Russia for its 2022 invasion, after Council of Europe ministers approved a resolution and President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a 2025 agreement.
Secretary General Alain Berset urged funding and said International Criminal Court lacks jurisdiction over aggression.
The tribunal could try Russian officials up to President Vladimir Putin, while twelve Council of Europe members have not joined.

Summary

Berset postpones tribunal

Alain Berset said the tribunal’s launch is postponed until a budget is determined and secured.
The tribunal will be based in The Hague, the city of the International Criminal Court.
Participating states must finish national legal procedures before formally joining the tribunal.
The Council of Europe, independent of the EU, oversees the effort for its 46 members and saw ministers adopt a unanimous, non-binding declaration expanding deportation discretion.

Summary

Trump Sparks Doubts

U.S. President Donald Trump’s disengagement and peace-deal push have sparked doubts about the tribunal’s 28-point amnesty draft.
A Register of Damages and an International Claims Commission will gather victims’ claims, set payments and enable trials in absentia for officials such as General Valery Gerasimov.
Targeting the president, prime minister, foreign minister and senior commanders, the crime of aggression leaves the troika immune from trials in absentia.

History

Historical Context

The Nuremberg Trials of 1945, convened by the Allied powers, marked the first international prosecution of leaders for aggression. The International Military Tribunal indicted 24 major Nazi officials, sentencing 12 to death and imprisoning the rest and other collaborators. Today's proposed Council of Europe tribunal mirrors Nuremberg by targeting Russian commanders like President Vladimir Putin and General Valery Gerasimov for aggression. The Nuremberg precedent demonstrated that legal accountability can reshape post-conflict politics, urging the new tribunal to secure funding and enforce judgments.

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34 Nations Join Tribunal

Thirty-four states, Australia, Costa Rica and the EU pledged to join a tribunal prosecuting Russia for its 2022 invasion, after Council of Europe ministers approved a resolution and President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a 2025 agreement.
Secretary General Alain Berset urged funding and said International Criminal Court lacks jurisdiction over aggression.
The tribunal could try Russian officials up to President Vladimir Putin, while twelve Council of Europe members have not joined.

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