The European Parliament supports the establishment and early launch of a special tribunal on the crime of aggression against Ukraine and called on all EU member states to join it.
Also in a resolution approved by 446 votes in favour on Thursday, the parliament condemns repeated brutal and deliberate Russian strikes on civilian targets in Ukraine and says Russia’s war of aggression is a blatant violation of international law.
MEPs call on Russia to stop these strikes.
In addition, MEPs say that responsibility should extend to all those who have the ability to direct or facilitate the commission of the crime of aggression, in particular high-ranking political, military and judicial figures, such as members of the Russian State Duma or members of that country’s Constitutional Court.
MEPs also express their full support for the International Criminal Court (ICC) investigation into probable war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide committed in Ukraine, recalling the obligations of EU Member States under the Rome Statute to arrest and extradite persons against whom ICC arrest warrants have been issued on their territory.
The MEPs also stress the need for “effective coordination of all accountability mechanisms to avoid duplication, ensure efficiency and minimise the negative impact on victims and witnesses”.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset signed an agreement on a special tribunal to investigate the crime of aggression against Ukraine on 25 June 2025. Subsequently, Zelensky said he had instructed the OP team and the Foreign Ministry to form “a clear timetable of practical steps to establish the tribunal”.
In January, Council of Europe Secretary General Alan Berset said that the Council of Europe and the European Union had agreed to set up an advance team for a potential special tribunal to investigate the crime of aggression against Ukraine.
After months of delays, the process to establish a Special Tribunal on the crime of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine has noticeably revived. As of 23 April, 22 States had already announced their intention to join the establishment of the tribunal.