Today, 15 May, 36 countries — including Estonia — together with the European Union confirmed in Chişinău, the capital of Moldova, their readiness to contribute to the establishment of a special tribunal for the crime of aggression committed against Ukraine. According to Tsahkna, the broad support demonstrates that the international community will not allow the aggressor to escape punishment for violations of international law.
“Today we took a historic step towards launching the special tribunal,” Tsahkna said. “The support of 34 Council of Europe member states, Costa Rica, Australia and the European Union sends the aggressor an unequivocal message: its crimes have not been forgotten and all violations will have consequences. Impunity will not become the norm.”
According to Tsahkna, efforts will continue to broaden support for the special tribunal beyond the Council of Europe. “It is the responsibility of the international community to continue exerting comprehensive pressure on Russia. If Russia goes unpunished, it will only encourage further aggression,” he stressed.
The foreign minister added that states must now complete the necessary domestic procedures concerning the tribunal’s administrative agreement so that investigations into those responsible for committing the crime of aggression can begin as soon as possible. Estonia has already completed its own procedure — in February this year, the Riigikogu approved the agreement establishing the Management Committee of the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression.
The Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression is an independent international court to be established in The Hague on the basis of an agreement between the Council of Europe and Ukraine. Its purpose is to investigate and prosecute those who bear the greatest responsibility for the crime of aggression.
The tribunal’s founding documents were drafted by a Core Group established in 2022, consisting of legal experts from 40 countries — including Estonia — as well as representatives of the European Union and the Council of Europe. In June 2025, Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed the agreement establishing the special tribunal.
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