President of Latvia calls for creation of "Putin-style" tribunal at Council of Europe summit
There are no legal obstacles to the creation of a Special Tribunal regarding Russia's aggression against Ukraine, only political will is needed.
President Egils Levits of Latvia made this statement during his speech at the Council of Europe summit in Reykjavik, as reported by a correspondent from Ukrinform.
"Today, Russia is adding a bloody chapter to European history. Aggressive warfare is the greatest international crime. Unfortunately, the International Criminal Court lacks jurisdiction in this case. And this is an intolerable gap in international law," he said.
The Latvian President further added that immediately after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia, he proposed the establishment of an ad hoc international tribunal to address this case.
"This is necessary for three reasons: first, to restore justice for Ukraine; second, to uphold the standards of international law established after World War II that prohibit aggressive warfare; and third, to not undermine trust in our democratic values," he added.
Levits noted that Latvia and dozens of other countries are already working together within the United Nations on the creation of an international special tribunal for the Russian crime of aggression.
"Legally, it is possible. All that is needed is political will. I call upon all of you, colleagues, to join this initiative," he stated.
The Latvian President also emphasized that Russia must compensate Ukraine for all the damages incurred during the aggression. "Therefore, I welcome the decision to establish a Registry of Damages caused by Russia's aggression against Ukraine," he added.
As Ukrinform reported earlier, at the Council of Europe summit in Reykjavik, over 40 countries and the EU signed an agreement to create a Registry of Damages caused to Ukraine by Russia's aggression.
The Registry of Damages is being established as a platform for intergovernmental cooperation within the institutional framework of the Council of Europe.
Additionally, Ukraine, together with its partners, is advancing the creation of a special tribunal to hold the leadership of the Russian Federation criminally responsible for the crime of aggression against Ukraine.
The establishment of such a tribunal has been supported by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the European Parliament, the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, and individual states.