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EU Moves Toward International Claims Commission to Compensate Ukraine War Victims
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Foreign ministers from the European Union have backed the next steps toward ratifying an agreement that would establish an international mechanism to compensate victims of Russia’s war against Ukraine
This was reported by Kyiv Independent, citing an EU official on May 11.
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The proposed body, referred to as the International Claims Commission, is expected to examine claims related to destruction, financial losses, and personal injuries resulting from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and determine appropriate compensation for affected individuals.
Canada is also preparing to join the initiative and is expected to sign the founding convention during a visit to Brussels, becoming the first country outside Europe to participate in the framework.
The agreement requires ratification by 25 European countries before the mechanism can officially begin operating. Ireland became the fifth state to ratify the convention earlier this month, on May 7.
European officials expect additional countries to complete the process ahead of a major Council of Europe meeting in Moldova on May 15, where further developments concerning the commission are anticipated, according to Kyiv Independent.
At the same time, discussions on a separate compensation fund—which would finance future payments to victims—are still ongoing and remain unresolved.
A senior EU official told the Kyiv Independent that the issue of establishing such a fund was not part of the agenda during the foreign ministers’ meeting in Brussels on May 11.
Meanwhile, according to Ukrainian lawmaker Serhiy Sobolev, the main unresolved issue delaying the establishment of a Special Tribunal on the crime of Russian aggression against Ukraine is securing stable funding.
Speaking in comments reported by Ukrinform on April 22, Sobolev said that there are currently two realistic options under consideration to finance the court’s operations: direct contributions from the European Union or the use of frozen Russian state assets.
During a recent plenary session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Sobolev raised the issue with Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset, asking about coordination with EU institutions on the potential use of immobilized Russian funds.
According to Ukrinform, Berset confirmed that discussions are ongoing with the European Commission and that he is scheduled to meet European Commissioner Michael McGrath to further explore the possibility of channeling frozen Russian assets toward financing the tribunal.
Additionally, Russian leader Vladimir Putin has proposed legislation aimed at expanding the state’s ability to deploy military force abroad under the pretext of protecting Russian citizens from detention or prosecution overseas.
The draft law would authorize what Moscow describes as “extraterritorial” military action in cases where Russian nationals are arrested or face legal proceedings initiated by international courts that are not recognized by Russia.
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