During a meeting of the Council of Europe in the Moldovan capital Chisinau, an important step was taken towards the establishment of a special tribunal. This tribunal will focus on prosecuting the political and military leadership held responsible for the war against Ukraine.
Den Haag
According to several involved countries, an agreement was approved regarding the further organization of the tribunal. A special management committee will be set up to oversee the preparation and operation of the court. It will be temporarily housed in The Hague.
A total of 37 countries supported the new agreements. The European Union has also joined the preparations for the tribunal. Earlier steps had already been taken in 2025 and early 2026.
Promotion
Deportation
Alongside the plans for the tribunal, the fate of Ukrainian children was also a central topic. According to the European Commission, since the beginning of the Russian invasion more than 20,500 children have been deported or forcibly transferred to Russia and other occupied territories.
Of those children, just over 2,100 have returned to Ukraine so far. The fate of many others remains unclear. According to the European Commission, children have been pressured to give up their Ukrainian identity.
50 Million More
On May 11, representatives from the European Union, Ukraine, Canada, and other international partners met in Brussels for a summit concerning the return of Ukrainian children. It was agreed to cooperate more closely in locating, protecting, and bringing back the children.
The European Union announced it will make an additional 50 million euros available to strengthen Ukrainian child protection and support return programs. Participating countries also intend to provide more support for investigations and legal actions related to deportations and forced transfers.
New Sanctions
Additionally, EU countries are preparing new sanctions against Russian individuals and organizations alleged to be involved in the deportation, re-education, and militarization of Ukrainian children. More than sixty individuals were already targeted in previous rounds of sanctions.
The participating countries emphasized that the return of the children and legal accountability for the committed crimes will remain the central focus of international cooperation on Ukraine in the coming period.