Zelenskyy approves plans on special tribunal to prosecute Russian leaders over Ukraine
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Ukraine-Russia war latest: Trump admits Putin could invade more of Europe after meeting Zelensky at Nato summit
Trump admits Putin could invade more of Europe after meeting Zelensky at Nato summit in the Netherlands. “I consider him a person who I think is misguided,” Trump said. He said Putin “would like to get out of this thing’. “It’s a mess for him’, he added.
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US president Donald Trump has admitted that Russian president Vladimir Putin could invade more of Europe beyond Ukraine.
Trump was asked whether he considered Putin an enemy and if he believed that the Russian president has territorial ambitions beyond Ukraine.
“It’s possible,” he answered at a press conference at the Nato summit in the Netherlands. “I consider him a person who I think is misguided,” Trump said.
He said Putin “would like to get out of this thing”. “It’s a mess for him”. “He called the other day, and he said, ‘Can I help you with Iran?’ I said, ‘No, you can help me with Russia,” Trump said.
His remarks came as he met with Volodymyr Zelensky at the talks where Nato leaders backed a big increase in defence spending.
Leaders gathered in The Hague for a Nato summit tailor-made for the US president endorsed a higher defence spending goal of 5 per cent of GDP by 2035.
Trump was asked at the summit if the US would supply more Patriot missile systems to Ukraine, something Kyiv has repeatedly requested. “We’re going to see if we can make some available,” he replied.
Zelenskyy approves plans on special tribunal to prosecute Russian leaders over Ukraine
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy formally approved plans Wednesday to set up a new international court to prosecute senior Russian officials. Existing international courts, including the International Criminal Court in The Hague lack jurisdiction to prosecute Russian nationals for that specific offense. The special tribunal aims to target senior Russian leaders for the “crime of aggression,” which underpins the countless war crimes Ukraine accuses Russian forces of committing since the start of the war on Feb. 24, 2022. The United States backed the project under former President Joe Biden, but President Donald Trump’s administration didn’t support the initiative.
The special tribunal will be created through an agreement between Ukraine and the Council of Europe, the continent’s top human rights body. Zelenskyy visited the Strasbourg-based organization for the first time as part of the announcement.
The special tribunal aims to target senior Russian leaders for the “crime of aggression,” which underpins the countless war crimes Ukraine accuses Russian forces of committing since the start of the war on Feb. 24, 2022. Existing international courts, including the International Criminal Court in The Hague lack jurisdiction to prosecute Russian nationals for that specific offense.
Since early in the conflict, Kyiv has been pushing for the creation of a special tribunal that goes beyond prosecuting war crimes that Ukraine alleged Russian forces committed — including bombing civilian infrastructure, killing civilians, rape, taking hostages and torture. Russia denies those accusations.
There are logistical details still to be resolved, including where the court will be based. The Hague has been suggested because of its existing legal infrastructure, but no final decision has been made.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, left, shakes hands with Alain Berset, secretary General of the Council of Europe, as he arrives for a press conference at the Council of Europe after signing the legal instruments necessary to launch the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine, in Strasbourg, eastern France, Wednesday, June 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Pascal Bastien) Photo:
Russia doesn’t extradite its own citizens, and whether or not Russian President Vladimir Putin will ever end up in the dock remains to be seen.
Under international law, sitting heads of state and certain other top officials — often referred to as the “troika,” including a country’s head of state, head of government and foreign minister — enjoy immunity from prosecution. That means any potential indictment of Putin could only move forward if he leaves office.
There is no statute of limitation on the crime of aggression.
The institution will be funded by supporting countries known as the Core Group, including the Netherlands, Japan and Canada. The United States backed the project under former President Joe Biden, but President Donald Trump’s administration didn’t support the initiative.
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Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy supports legal action against Russian leadership
The special tribunal will be created through an agreement between Ukraine and the Council of Europe. Zelenskyy is visiting the Strasbourg-based organization for the first time as part of the announcement. Existing international courts, including the International Criminal Court in The Hague, lack jurisdiction to prosecute Russian nationals for that specific offence.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Pic/AP
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Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will formally approve plans on Wednesday to set up a new international court to prosecute senior Russian officials for the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The special tribunal will be created through an agreement between Ukraine and the Council of Europe, the continent’s top human rights body. Zelenskyy is visiting the Strasbourg-based organization for the first time as part of the announcement.
The special tribunal aims to target senior Russian leaders for the crime of aggression, which underpins the countless war crimes Ukraine accuses Russian forces of committing since the start of the war in 2022. Existing international courts, including the International Criminal Court in The Hague, lack jurisdiction to prosecute Russian nationals for that specific offence.
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Zelenskyy will sign off on special tribunal to prosecute Russian leaders over Ukraine
Tribunal will hold senior Russian officials accountable for the ‘crime of aggression’ The full-scale invasion of Ukraine started in 2022. The court will be based in The Hague, Netherlands.
When: Wednesday (June 25, 2025). The full-scale invasion of Ukraine started in 2022. Published June 25, 2025.
Where: The Hague, Netherlands (suggested location for the court); Strasbourg, France (headquarters of the Council of Europe); Ukraine; Russia.
Why: To address the ‘crime of aggression,’ which existing international courts lack jurisdiction over, and to hold senior Russian leaders accountable for the invasion of Ukraine and associated war crimes.
How: Through an agreement between Ukraine and the Council of Europe, with funding and support from a ‘Core Group’ of countries.