Lithuania urges stronger EU role in Russia aggression tribunal

VILNIUS - Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys urged European Union members to take a more active role in a planned special tribunal to prosecute senior Russian officials for the crime of aggression against Ukraine.

"We cannot allow Russia to emerge as a winner of the aggression it started in any form. Therefore, negotiations regarding Ukraine's independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity are not acceptable," Budrys said.

"Lithuania was among the first to join the special tribunal, through which we will seek accountability for the regimes of Vladimir Putin and Alyaksandr Lukashenka. We are ready to continue the necessary work and urge other EU partners to become more actively involved," he added.

Budrys made the remarks during a visit to Kyiv, where, against the backdrop of the Bucha massacre anniversary, European Union foreign ministers and the bloc’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov and other government officials.

According to the ministry, Budrys emphasised during the meetings that the rule of international law and justice for Ukraine and its people must be ensured to achieve a just and lasting peace.

The Council of Europe and Zelenskyy agreed last June to establish a special tribunal to prosecute high-ranking Russian officials for the invasion of Ukraine launched in 2022.

In late March, the European Union announced it had initiated procedures to become a founding member of this tribunal, which would allow the bloc to play a leading role in its operations, including the selection of judges and prosecutors.

Brussels has already assisted in drafting the tribunal’s founding legal texts and allocated 10 million euros for its operational setup. The bid for founding member status must still be approved by the 27 EU member states.

Budrys also reaffirmed Lithuania’s commitment to Ukraine’s victory against Russia and highlighted the importance of Ukraine’s European Union membership.

"We will continue to support Ukraine politically and provide military, financial, energy, and humanitarian aid. We have committed to allocating 0.25 percent of our GDP annually to Ukraine's security and defence, and we are actively supporting Ukraine's recovery," the minister said.

"In the longer term, it is important to work actively towards Ukraine's accession to the EU and set a goal for membership by 2030. This is a geopolitical goal for all of Europe, and we must accelerate all preparatory work to achieve it," Budrys noted.

According to the minister, Lithuania’s support for Ukraine’s energy sector has exceeded 100 million euros, a significant contribution on a European Union scale.