Estonia supports creation of tribunal at Council of Europe for Russian aggression

TALLINN - In her remarks at a meeting of foreign ministers of the Council of Europe in Luxembourg on Wednesday, Minna-Liina Lind, deputy secretary general of the Estonian Foreign Ministry for global affairs, said Estonia supports the creation of a special tribunal with the Council of Europe for Russia's crime of aggression.

At the beginning of the meeting, a statement approved on May 9 in Lviv by the Core Group of the Ukrainian Special Tribunal for the establishment of a Special Tribunal at the Council of Europe, which would allow the crime of aggression against Ukraine to be prosecuted and those responsible to be held to account, was submitted to the Council of Europe by Ukraine.

"The establishment of a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression at the Council of Europe is a clear message to Russia -- those who start a war of aggression will be held accountable," Lind stressed in her speech. "The special tribunal helps to establish the rights of victims, strengthens the legitimacy of international law and ensures that serious violations of the international order will not go unpunished in the future," she added.

The meeting included discussions on how to provide continued assistance to Ukraine, an analysis of the Council of Europe's new Democratic Pact, a follow-up to the Reykjavik Summit Declaration, and talks on how to strengthen cooperation with the European Union.

The deputy secretary general also welcomed the initiative of the secretary general of the Council of Europe to establish a Democratic Pact, which would help to strengthen democracy as a fundamental pillar of European values.

"Given the current geopolitical situation, it is clear that we must continue to stand up for democracy and actively defend the principles that ensure peaceful cohesion in our societies," Lind said according to spokespeople. "A pioneer of democracy and human rights, the Council of Europe must take the lead in defending these values and work closely with international partners and organizations, including the European Union, to promote democratic security in Europe and beyond."

At the end of the meeting, the presidency of the Council of Europe changed, with Malta taking over the six-month leadership from Luxembourg. Prior to the meeting, Estonia signed the Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of the Legal Profession, which strengthens the protection of the legal profession and lawyers' right to practice independently and autonomously. In Estonia, the preparation of the ratification law is planned for the first quarter of 2026.