Estonia to join convention on Ukrainian damage claims

TALLINN - The government has approved a bill for Estonia to join a convention that establishes an international commission for Ukrainian damage claims within the framework of the Council of Europe.

The commission's task is to assess the damages caused by Russia's aggression in Ukraine and to determine the amounts of compensation.

According to Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna, the creation of the commission is an important step in holding Russia accountable. "With its aggression in Ukraine, Russia has gravely violated the norms of international law, and the consequences have been devastating - Ukrainian residents, cities, infrastructure, and the environment have suffered," the minister emphasized. "Russia must compensate for all the damages it has caused through its violations of international law. The claims commission, together with the already functioning register of damages, will help ensure that impunity does not prevail and that Ukraine receives fair compensation."

Minister Tsahkna added that the next step is to find mechanisms through which the compensation determined by the commission can actually be paid out. "The compensation for war damages must remain on the aggressor's shoulders," he stressed.

It is also essential that the convention establishing the commission has broad international support.

The claims commission will form the second pillar of a comprehensive international compensation mechanism for Ukraine. The first pillar is the Register of Damage for Ukraine, established in May 2023 within the framework of the Council of Europe, which collects and registers damage claims and corresponding evidence. To date, over 73,000 claims have been registered in 13 categories. The task of the claims commission is to verify the legitimacy of the claims and determine the amounts to be compensated. Next, a compensation fund must be created, which will compensate the Ukrainian state, people, and companies for the claims confirmed by the commission.

The convention to establish the claims commission will be signed on December 16 at a diplomatic conference in The Hague, which Estonia will also attend. The convention is open to both member and non-member states of the Council of Europe, including the European Union. Estonia supports the European Union's accession to the convention. After signing, the convention will be submitted to the Riigikogu (the Estonian parliament) for ratification.