 "Ukraine and over 30 nations to approve new claims body to seek compensation for Russia’s invasion")
Ukraine and a group of allied countries are expected on Tuesday to formally approve the creation of a body designed to compensate for damage caused by Russia’s invasion, a move seen as a significant legal step even as questions persist over how payments would be financed. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is due to attend the ceremony in The Hague, where the plans are set to be endorsed.
The approval comes after peace talks in Berlin involving US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. During the discussions, Zelenskyy said he was ready to abandon Ukraine’s bid to join Nato in return for Western security guarantees, but he rejected the US push for Ukraine to cede territory to Russia.
“These security guarantees are an opportunity to prevent another wave of Russian aggression,” he said, responding to journalists’ questions. “And this is already a compromise on our part.”
Claims process and funding doubts
The Council of Europe, the continent’s leading human rights body, has facilitated the International Claims Commission, which will allow Ukrainians to seek compensation for “damage, loss or injury” caused by the Russian Federation since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022. The commission will assess claims submitted to an existing register of damages launched at a Council of Europe summit in Iceland in 2023.
“There will be no reliable peace without justice,” Zelenskyy told summit leaders in a video address from Kyiv. Around 80,000 claims have already been filed with the register, which is based in The Hague.
Uncertainty remains over how the commission will be funded. The Council of Europe maintains that Russia must pay, but there is no clear mechanism to compel Moscow to do so. One proposal under discussion involves using some of the tens of billions of dollars in frozen Russian assets held in Europe.
At least 25 countries are required to sign up for the commission to begin operating, but more than 30 are expected to join, marking an unprecedented start for a Council of Europe treaty. Most participants are European states, with the European Union indicating it will also join. Mexico, Japan and Canada have sent delegations to the signing as well.
Quick Reads
View AllSeveral of the same countries are backing a new international court, also under the Council of Europe framework, to prosecute senior Russian officials over the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Zelenskyy is also scheduled to address the Dutch parliament and meet King Willem-Alexander during his visit.
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