Finland has joined agreement to launch special tribunal against Russian Federation, - Sybiha

Finland joined the special tribunal against Russia

Finland has joined the agreement to establish the Special Tribunal on the crime of aggression against Ukraine.

This was reported by Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, according to Censor.NET.

What is known

As noted, Finland became the 21st country to officially join the Tribunal.

Sibiga expressed his hope that the number of countries would continue to grow.

"All countries are invited, not just European ones. It doesn't matter which part of the world you're from when it comes to the universal value of respect for international law and the need to ensure justice," he added.

The minister announced that the agreement will be put to a vote in a few weeks in Chisinau, Moldova, at a meeting of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe.

"The Special Tribunal on the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine is a historic initiative. Join us in bringing it to life," urged the foreign minister.

What led up to

As a reminder, prior to this, Austria joined the effort to establish a Special Tribunal on Russia, becoming the 20th country to do so.

Special Tribunal on Russian Crimes

On March 21, 2025, at the final meeting in Strasbourg, work was completed on the key legal documents for the establishment of a Special Tribunal on Russian War Crimes.
In April, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas stated that the European Union had concluded technical negotiations on the establishment of a special tribunal against Russia to punish the crime of aggression against Ukraine.
Iryna Mudra, Deputy Head of the Office of the President, noted in May that the Special Tribunal on Russia’s crime of aggression against Ukraine could begin its work as early as next year.
At its meeting in June, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe adopted key documents necessary for the establishment of a Special Tribunal to investigate crimes of aggression against Ukraine.
On June 25, 2025, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset signed an agreement establishing a Special Tribunal to investigate the crime of aggression against Ukraine.
The Russian Foreign Ministry stated that it would not recognize the Special Tribunal on Russia’s crime of aggression against Ukraine and warned third countries against joining it.
On July 1, 2025, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed the documents to ratify the Agreement on the Establishment of a Special Tribunal on Russia’s Crime of Aggression against Ukraine.
On July 15, 2025, the Verkhovna Rada ratified the Agreement with the Council of Europe on the establishment of a special tribunal to address the Russian Federation’s crime of aggression against Ukraine.