News

On 9 May in Lviv, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania, Kęstutis Budrys, participated in a meeting of the coalition on the establishment of the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine. The head of Lithuania's diplomacy emphasized that establishing the Tribunal will mark a new stage in the accountability for the crime of aggression and in the history of international law.

“History is often written through court decisions. The decisions of the Special Tribunal on Russia's accountability for the crime of aggression are necessary to avoid a repetition of aggression in the future. The aggression cannot be forgotten or forgiven, like all other international crimes that Russia continues to commit every day against Ukraine. We need to ensure accountability for thousands of international crimes, because a peace that is not fair, sustainable, and comprehensive will be just a big illusion,” said Budrys.

The Minister noted that the current decisions on establishing the Special Tribunal were the result of complex compromises. According to Budrys, this will be the first Tribunal for the crime of aggression after the Nuremberg trials.

The formal process for the establishment of the Special Tribunal will be launched at the session of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe in Luxembourg on 14 May, following the submission of the request by the Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs to the Secretary General of the Council of Europe.