Tribunal Against Putin Likely to Be Established by Year-End, EU Justice Commissioner

The tribunal against Russian President Vladimir Putin is likely to be established by the end of this year. At least, this hope was expressed by European Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders, who spoke with a DW correspondent.

“We are discussing this tribunal with various international actors. Now, two main options are being considered: an international tribunal based on a multilateral agreement or a simplified solution based on a bilateral agreement between Ukraine and the Council of Europe,” said the EU Commissioner.

Reynders believes that the establishment of a tribunal for the military aggression of Russia against Ukraine is in its final stages. “The next step is a matter of political will; it’s only the beginning of the year now, and it should be possible by the end of the year,” he concluded.

The Netherlands has offered to host the special tribunal. This would make sense, as The Hague is considered the capital of global justice with its courts, and importantly, it houses an international center for the investigation of crimes of aggression against Ukraine, which is linked to the International Criminal Court that is in turn investigating other crimes committed due to Russian aggression.