Brussels, 26 June 2025 (dpa/MIA) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset signed an agreement on Wednesday supporting the creation of a special tribunal to prosecute crimes committed during Russia's war against Ukraine.

"Every war criminal must know that there will be justice, and that also applies to Russia," Zelensky said after the signing.

"We are now seriously intensifying the legal war. There is still a long way ahead, but politically we have already made significant progress."

"Law must speak louder than bombs," Berset said in a post on X before his meeting with Zelensky.

The Council of Europe, based in the eastern French city of Strasbourg, is independent of the European Union. It is committed to democracy, the rule of law and human rights.

The international human rights body has spent recent months preparing the tribunal, which will be based in The Hague and is intended to hold senior figures in the Russian leadership accountable.

However, it is considered unlikely that Russian President Vladimir Putin will appear in the dock.

While the tribunal will allow for trials in absentia, the Council of Europe noted that sitting heads of state, prime ministers, and foreign ministers enjoy legal immunity under international law.

This means that they cannot be tried until they leave office or their immunity is lifted. Still the council believes the tribunal is important in part because it gathers evidence and can bring charges.

The next step is for interested states and the European Union to decide whether they want to participate in the tribunal.

Photo: France 24 screenshot