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The Special Tribunal for the crime of aggression by Russia against Ukraine is becoming a legal reality. This was stated today, May 15, by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha during a meeting of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe in Chișinău, UATV English reports.
“Today is a historic day. We are making history. Just like the Nuremberg Tribunal 80 years ago, this Special Tribunal in The Hague will restore justice from the ruins of war. And this is not an abstract idea,” the minister emphasized.
He recalled that the day before, a Russian strike on Kyiv claimed the lives of 24 people, including three children.
“Their relatives are watching this meeting right now. We have no moral right to fail. They deserve justice. And the current agreement, officially approved by 37 states across three continents, makes justice inevitable. Today we passed the point of no return. The Special Tribunal is becoming a legal reality. Very few believed this day would come. But it has come. A year ago in Lviv we adopted a political decision. Just a year later, we already have an implementation agreement. For international criminal justice, such speed is a true legal record,” Sybiha stated.
The moral foundation of Europe and the world will be restored only when the crime of aggression against Ukraine is punished. This is not a question of the past. It is a question of the future, the Foreign Minister stressed.
“Putin always wanted to go down in history. And this tribunal will help him achieve that. He will go down in history. As a criminal. And not only him. Putin, Shoigu, Gerasimov, Bortnikov, Zolotov, Medvedev, Patrushev, Lukashenko and others. Today all of them received their ticket to The Hague. Many told us we were dreamers. But this agreement before me is not a dream. It is reality. Ukraine believed in the tribunal from the very beginning. And I am equally confident that we will achieve peace, accession to the EU, and other goals,” the foreign minister noted.
He emphasized that accountability will never become a subject of compromise. Justice is an integral element of lasting peace.
“Thank you all for making this day a reality. I appreciate every one of you present here. Special thanks to Moldova for your wonderful hospitality and presidency. And I especially thank Secretary General of the Council of Europe Alain Berset. This day would not have come without your leadership and courage,” Sybiha concluded.
Let us recall that on May 15, delegations of European countries arrived at the Palace of the Republic in Chișinău to participate in the 135th ministerial session of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. The focus is on combating disinformation and foreign interference, strengthening security and supporting Ukraine. This meeting may indeed become historic: the Council of Europe is expected to finally approve the agreement on the legal establishment of the Special Tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine.
