ISTANBUL

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday signed the ratification documents for the agreement with the Council of Europe to establish a special tribunal to prosecute "Russian aggression" against Ukraine.

"This Agreement was recently signed between our state and the Council of Europe and now needs to be promptly ratified to initiate the actual process of establishing the Tribunal," Zelenskyy stated in a post on X.

He has directed officials to prepare legislative amendments for immediate submission to the Verkhovna Rada, or unicameral parliament, to ensure full domestic implementation of the agreement, he added.

“I call on Members of Parliament to address this matter without delay,” he said, stressing the urgency of starting the tribunal’s establishment.

He also directed his Foreign Ministry and presidential office to present a clear timeline for working with international partners to officially launch the court.

“Russia must already feel this year that its accountability for the crime of aggression is inevitable,” he said, adding: “Aggression is a crime, and the real, inevitable punishment of Russia for this crime is a matter of global concern.”

The agreement, signed earlier this year with the Council of Europe, aims to create a legal mechanism focused solely on prosecuting aggression—separate from war crimes or crimes against humanity—amid calls for broader international involvement.