President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that he had signed the documents necessary for ratifying the Agreement on the Establishment of a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression by Russia against Ukraine.
According to him, instructions have already been given to prepare amendments to the legislation to ensure the full implementation of the tribunal by Ukraine.
‘I have also instructed that the necessary legislative amendments be prepared and submitted to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine as soon as possible, so that everything on our side is fully in place for the complete implementation of the Agreement. I call on Members of Parliament to address this matter without delay,’ Zelensky emphasised.
The president stressed that this year Russia must feel that its responsibility for the crime of aggression is inevitable and that an international legal process to bring Moscow to justice has actually begun.
‘Aggression is a crime, and the real, inevitable punishment of Russia for this crime is a matter of global concern shared by all who want a peaceful life for their people,’ the president added.
On 25 June in Strasbourg, Zelensky and Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Boreson signed an agreement on the establishment of a Special Tribunal. It is expected to have the status of an international institution with the right to convict in absentia, in particular the political and military leadership of Russia, and potentially Belarus and North Korea.