Estonia to join international commission on Ukrainian damage claims

TALLINN - The Estonian parliament, the Riigikogu, has approved a bill for the country to join the convention establishing the international commission for Ukrainian damage claims.

The commission's task is to assess the damage caused to Ukraine by Russia's aggression and to determine the compensation Russia must pay.

"Russia must be held accountable for its aggression against Ukraine. The creation of the international commission for damage claims is a crucial step in making Russia compensate for the damages it has caused," said Kristo Enn Vaga, a member of the parliament's National Defence Committee.

According to Vaga, the commission will assess the damages caused to Ukraine by Russia's aggression and determine the compensation Russia must pay.

Vaga believes the commission's work will also help establish a legal basis for using Russia's frozen assets for Ukraine's benefit in the future.

"Approximately 210 billion euros of Russian central bank reserves are frozen in the European Union. Currently, the interest from these assets is used to support Ukraine, but the decisions of the international mechanism will help create a legal basis to also use the principal amount for Ukraine's benefit in the future," Vaga noted.

Vaga added that Estonia has been one of the leading proponents for the creation of the international commission for Ukrainian damage claims and has actively participated in the development of this mechanism.