Support The Moscow Times!

EU Parliament Calls for Special Tribunal to Punish Russian War Crimes in Ukraine

A residential building in Dnipro, Ukraine, following a Jan. 14 Russian missile strike that killed at least 45 people. Dnipropetrovsk regional state administration

The European Parliament has adopted a resolution to establish a special international tribunal that will prosecute Russia’s political and military leadership and its allies for “the crime of aggression against Ukraine.”

In a statement Thursday, European MEPs said the tribunal would fill a vacuum in international criminal justice and complement the investigative efforts of the International Criminal Court, which cannot investigate the "leadership" crime of aggression in the case of a non-member state like Russia.

Among those to be prosecuted by the tribunal are Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko.

The Parliament said that EU preparatory work on the special tribunal should start immediately and focus on “building the arrangements for the court in cooperation with Kyiv.”

The tribunal's establishment “would send a very clear signal to both Russian society and the international community that President Putin and the Russian leadership at large can be convicted for the crime of aggression in Ukraine,” the European Parliament said.

The resolution was passed with 472 votes in favor, 19 votes against with 33 abstentions.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on Monday backed the creation of a special international tribunal to prosecute Russia’s aggression in Ukraine.

What is needed is “a tribunal that can investigate the Russian leadership and put them on trial," Baerbock said.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysiss and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more