- May 15, 2026
- 6:00 pm
- World News
On May 15, 2026, in Chisinau, the Council of Europe took a new legal step towards launching a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression by Russia against Ukraine. This is not just another diplomatic formula. It is about a mechanism that should specifically address the highest political and military leadership of Russia responsible for the full-scale invasion.
Thirty-six countries and the European Union have expressed their intention to join the agreement to establish the tribunal. Among them are 34 member states of the Council of Europe, as well as Australia and Costa Rica. The list may expand in the future, as the format is open to new participants.
For Ukraine, this is an important stage in the long struggle for international accountability of Russia. For Israel and the Israeli audience, this topic is also not distant: it concerns the principle on which the post-war system of international law is based — aggression should not go unpunished, even if a nuclear power is behind it.
What exactly happened in Chisinau on May 15, 2026
In Chisinau, during the meeting of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, the Enlarged Partial Agreement on the establishment of the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression by Russia against Ukraine was officially finalized. It was there that the statement was made about 36 countries and the European Union expressing their intention to participate in this mechanism.
Among the countries supporting participation are Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom. Australia and Costa Rica are separately mentioned.
The Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Alain Berset, called this step decisive for the actual creation of the tribunal. According to him, practical work and funding of the mechanism now need to be ensured. He also emphasized that the time for holding Russia accountable for aggression is rapidly approaching.
Why this is not an ordinary war crimes court
The main difference of this tribunal is that it should deal with the crime of aggression. It is not a separate episode of the war, not a specific strike on a house, and not a single investigation of torture or deportations. The crime of aggression is the very decision to start a war, to invade the territory of another state, and to disrupt the international order by force.
That is why the focus is not only on the executors on the battlefield but also on those who planned, prepared, launched, and continue to politically cover the war. This circle may potentially include the highest political and military leaders of Russia, including Vladimir Putin.
The International Criminal Court is already dealing with war crimes, crimes against humanity, and other categories of cases related to the Russian war against Ukraine. But there is a legal gap regarding the crime of aggression that this special mechanism should fill.
Why The Hague is once again becoming the center of international accountability
According to the Council of Europe, the Netherlands has agreed to host the initial phase of the tribunal’s work in The Hague. This is symbolic and practically understandable: The Hague has long been associated with international justice, the investigation of war crimes, and judicial mechanisms created after major international conflicts.
But it is important to understand: the launch of the tribunal is not an instant verdict. Ahead lies organizational work, funding, the formation of procedures, evidence collection, preparation of charges, and legal battles around the immunities of current leaders.
That is why the decision on May 15, 2026, in Chisinau should be seen as a politico-legal transition from declarations to a mechanism. Not the end, but no longer just a promise.
For Ukraine, this is especially important because Russian aggression has been ongoing for more than a year. After February 24, 2022, the war became full-scale, but the logic of Russian aggression began earlier — with the occupation of Crimea and the war against Ukraine since 2014. Therefore, the issue of accountability cannot be reduced to individual episodes of the recent period.
NAnews — Israel News | Nikk.Agency considers this topic in a broader context: for Israel, Ukraine, and the Jewish world, the issue of international accountability is always connected not only with the past but also with future security. If aggression goes unpunished, it becomes an example for other regimes.
What this means for Putin and the Russian leadership
Formally, the tribunal should investigate, prosecute, and judge those primarily responsible for the crime of aggression against Ukraine. Politically, this means that the international system is gradually building a separate legal route specifically to the top of the Russian power.
Putin may continue to talk about “peace,” “negotiations,” and “readiness for dialogue,” but the very fact of creating such a tribunal fixes something else: the world sees Russia’s actions not as a dispute between two states but as aggression for which specific people must be held accountable.
This is important for the information war as well. Moscow has been trying for years to blur responsibility, to present the attack as a “conflict,” “crisis,” “response to threats,” or “geopolitics.” The Special Tribunal brings the conversation back to the legal core: who gave the order, who planned, who ensured the invasion, who is responsible for the crime of aggression.
Why this story is important for Israel
The Israeli audience understands well that international law often works slowly, incompletely, and not always fairly. But when it comes to Russia’s war against Ukraine, the issue of the tribunal goes beyond Ukrainian politics.
For repatriates from Ukraine, the Ukrainian community in Israel, and everyone following the war from Israel, this is a signal: the topic of Russian accountability has not disappeared from the international agenda. It has not dissolved in fatigue, elections, changes of governments, and negotiations behind closed doors.
There is also a broader Middle Eastern context. Russia remains a partner of Iran — a regime that threatens Israel, arms terrorist structures, and participates in the overall system of pressure on democratic countries. Therefore, the legal weakening of Moscow’s impunity matters not only for Kyiv but also for all states facing aggressive regimes and their allies.
What will happen next
The next stage is the practical creation of the tribunal, its funding, the launch of the initial phase in The Hague, and the formation of a procedural base. A compensation mechanism for Ukraine will also develop: the International Claims Commission, which should assess compensation claims and determine possible payments to victims, is being discussed separately.
According to the Council of Europe, 44 states and the EU have already joined the Register of Damage, and the mechanism itself has received over 150,000 compensation claims. This shows that it is not only about a political symbol but also an attempt to build a system of consequences for the aggressor state.
The main question remains open: when exactly will the accusatory procedures reach the highest Russian leaders, and how far is international law willing to go in the case against the current leadership of a nuclear power.
But on May 15, 2026, in Chisinau, an important step was taken. Russia is still waging war, Putin is still trying to sell the image of a “negotiator” to the world, and his state continues to act as an aggressor. However, the legal framework of accountability is already becoming tighter.
And this is precisely the case where time works not only against the victims of the war but also against those who thought that the crime of aggression could be hidden behind diplomatic formulas.