Council of Europe chief promises not to give up on idea of special tribunal for Putin and compensation for Ukrainians

Alain Berset, Secretary General of the Council of Europe (CoE), promises that Ukraine will be a key priority for the organisation this year, and the CoE will not give up on punishing Russia.

As reported by a European Pravda correspondent reports from Strasbourg, presenting the organisation's priorities at the meeting of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Berset stressed the importance of the Ukrainian issue. "In 2025, Ukraine will be our highest priority," he said, in particular.

The key issue, he said, is to hold Russia and its representatives accountable for its illegal aggression against Ukraine and its consequences. In particular, the Secretary General promised progress in compensating ordinary Ukrainians for their losses.

"We are committed to doing everything possible to establish a compensation committee and a concrete compensation mechanism that will be based on the success of the damage register. The Council of Europe should play a leading role here. Expectations are high and we have to meet them," he said.

Berset also stressed that the Council of Europe, despite the volatility of the international situation, will not give up the idea of personal punishment of Russian leaders and continues to work on the creation of a special tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine. "In addition to financial resources, it is very important to build a system of bringing the perpetrators to justice. There should be no impunity here," he said.

Berset had already stated that he expects "practical steps" to be taken regarding the special tribunal in 2025.

In November 2024, the group on a special tribunal for Russia for the crime of aggression agreed on a plan of further action.