The Council of Europe has begun forming a Commission to compensate Ukraine for losses from Russian aggression

On December 16, the Council of Europe began the process of signing the Convention on the Establishment of an International Commission to Examine Claims of Damage Caused by Russiaʼs Aggression against Ukraine.

This became known from a broadcast at the Council of Europe.

The first to sign the convention in The Hague today were the foreign ministers of Ukraine, the Netherlands, and Moldova. For the commission to become operational, 25 ratifications and half of the budget are needed.

This is the first compensation mechanism to be created after the start of a full-scale invasion. In 2023, the Council of Europe created a Register of Damages for Ukraine, which records the damage caused by the Russian Federation. The next step will be to move from recording to making decisions on payments.

• Earlier, Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Iryna Mudra told Babel how the Commission will work. It will be located in the same place where the Office of the Register of Damages operates today, which is being transformed into the Office of the Commission, as well as its entire infrastructure.
• Ukraine expects the Commission to start operating in early 2027. The launch will continue throughout 2026: recruitment of staff, formation of the Commissionʼs bodies, approval of rules. As for the source for the compensation fund, Ukraine insists on "frozen" Russian assets.

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