Portugal has become the 15th country to join the Expanded Partial Agreement on the Special Tribunal, which will investigate the crime of Russian aggression against Ukraine.
This was reported by Minister of Foreign Affairs Andriy Sybiha in X.
Sybiha explained that only one country remained to reach the minimum number of participants for the vote on the legalization of the Special Tribunal (which will take place in Chisinau in May).
The following countries have already joined the agreement: Croatia, Estonia, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Moldova, the Netherlands, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom and Costa Rica.
"We call on all countries in Europe and the world to join our historic initiative for accountability, to hold accountable and punish the crime of aggression for the first time since the Nuremberg Tribunal," the minister urged.
Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression of the Russian Federation
Ukraine insists on the creation of a Special Tribunal, since the International Criminal Court and other similar institutions cannot, at this stage, consider cases concerning the crime of aggression.
The heads of foreign ministries of European countries and the EU leadership expressed political support for the launch of the Special Tribunal on May 9, 2025. On June 25, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky and Secretary General of the Council of Europe Alain Berset signed an agreement on its establishment in Strasbourg. The Statute of the Special Tribunal is also ready.
In January 2026, the European Union transferred the first €10 million for the establishment of the Special Tribunal, and in March it began the process to become one of the founding members of the tribunal.
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