European leaders at the Council of Europe Summit in Reykjavik have announced the establishment of the “register of damage” for victims of Russian aggression as a first step towards an international compensation mechanism.
Forty-three countries plus the European Union have joined or indicated their intention to join the initiative.
The register has been established for an initial period of three years and will serve as a record of evidence and claims for damage, loss or injury caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It paves the way for an international compensation mechanism for the victims.
Katrín Jakobsdóttir, Prime Minister of Iceland and host of the summit, said “the Council of Europe can and should play an important role in ensuring accountability. The register is an important step towards accountability for crimes committed in Russia’s brutal war and a strong message of support to Ukraine.”
Marija Pejčinović Burić, secretary general of the Council of Europe, said the register is “to hold Russia accountable for its acts.”
The European Union provided a substantial contribution towards the startup costs. The register will be headquartered in The Hague, with a satellite office in Ukraine.
Denys Shmyhal, the Prime Minister of Ukraine, said he hoped other countries from all corners of the world would join.
The German government is looking for ways to secure war damages, including the possibility of using Russian assets to compensate the country, a government spokesperson said on Wednesday.
Euromaidan press noticed that the West has frozen nearly $300 billion in Russian federal reserves, though these reserves have not yet been confiscated.
The World Bank estimates that the cost of reconstruction and recovery in Ukraine has grown to €383 billion.
We #StandWithUkraine#CouncilOfEuropeSummit creates register for damage for Ukraine as first step towards an international compensation mechanism for victims of Russian aggression.
⭐️40 countries (incl 🇨🇦 🇯🇵 🇺🇸) + EU are signing now
⭐️other countries will (🇦🇩 🇧🇬 🇨🇭) or can join— Council of Europe (@coe) May 17, 2023
The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has called for a special tribunal to try Russia for the crime of aggression.
Leaders from across Europe are meeting in Reykjavik and the war in Ukraine is at the centre of the attention. It is the first summit of the 46-nation Council of Europe (which is not part of the EU) in 18 years. Russia has been expelled from the organisation.
As of now, 43 states, (including the United States, Canada, and Japan, which are not members of the Council of Europe), have supported or promised to support the establishment of the register.
The Council of Europe has 46 members. Seven have decided not to join this “anti-Russian” agreement.
Ahead of the summit, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made an appeal to the European leaders, stressing “there will be no reliable peace without justice.” He also said he wanted to see a “special tribunal for the crime of aggression ”
The summit also focused on the children that have been sent from Ukraine to Russia during the invasion. The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin connected with these alleged abductions.
An important sequence of summits starts tomorrow – @coe in Reykjavik, @G7 in Hiroshima and 🇪🇺🇰🇷 in Seoul.
Many themes will connect them.
And first, our united response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and our support to this brave nation ↓
https://t.co/brwgW9c5Xg— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) May 15, 2023
