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Putin and Lukashenko Receive Their “Tickets to The Hague” After Historic Tribunal Agreement
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![Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko]( "Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko")
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has described the agreement on establishing a Special Tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine as a “point of no return.”
He stated that Russian leader Vladimir Putin and other senior officials in Moscow and Minsk have effectively received their “tickets to The Hague” as future defendants in international justice proceedings.
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Speaking at a meeting of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe in Chișinău, Sybiha called the development historic, arguing that the new tribunal would restore justice following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, according to Ukrinform correspondent on May 15.
“Today we have passed the point of no return. The Special Tribunal is becoming a legal reality. Very few believed this day would come. But it has come. A year ago in Lviv we made a political decision. Just a year later, we have an implementation agreement. For international criminal justice, this speed is a real legal record,” Sybiha said.
The foreign minister compared the initiative to the post-World War II Nuremberg trials, saying the tribunal would ensure accountability for those responsible for Russia’s aggression.
“Putin always wanted to enter history, and this Tribunal will help him achieve that. He will go down in history as a criminal. And not only him. Putin, Shoigu, Gerasimov, Bortnikov, Zolotov, Medvedev, Patrushev, Lukashenko and others today received their tickets to The Hague,” he added.
Sybiha stressed that Ukraine’s history has been marked by repeated waves of atrocities, occupation, repression, and large-scale crimes, but that justice had never been fully achieved.
“The Special Tribunal will break this vicious circle. But today is not the end. It is the beginning. There will be more countries joining. There will be a seat in The Hague. There will be a first committee. And there will be verdicts. Ukraine needs this. Europe needs this. And even Russia needs this Tribunal,” he said.
Two days earlier, on May 13, the European Union officially committed to joining the international framework tasked with establishing a Special Tribunal for the crime of Russian aggression.
Sybiha clarified that the EU will participate in the Enlarged Partial Agreement, which oversees the tribunal’s Steering Committee. This body is responsible for developing the legal and structural foundations required to launch the court.
“It is imperative to hold the leadership of the aggressor state, as well as all those responsible, fully accountable and bring them to justice,” Sybiha said.
The announcement comes just one day after Russia carried out a large-scale combined missile and drone attack on Kyiv and the surrounding region, striking multiple districts and causing significant damage to residential and commercial infrastructure.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the capital remained under prolonged assault, with both direct strikes and falling debris recorded across several areas as Ukrainian air defense systems worked to intercept incoming targets.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that more than 1,560 drones had been launched by Russia since midnight, highlighting the unprecedented scale of the overnight escalation.
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-5793c5670da590738fb56f66d1e9d3bf.png "Rare Russian Be-200 amphibious aircraft moments before Ukrainian drone strike, May 15, 2025. (Source: Brovdi.Art/Facebook)")
