EU and Council of Europe agree to set up an advance team for the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine

January 26, 2026 by European Union Leave a Comment

A person holding a sign that reads 'UKRAINE FREE' in colorful letters, with a heart symbol, at a public demonstration during twilight. — (Credit: Unsplash)

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission.

The European Union and the Council of Europe have signed an agreement on the financing of an advance team to establish the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine, within the framework of the Council of Europe.

The aim of the joint project is to create a team to prepare the institutional, logistical and organisational foundations of the Special Tribunal, which will have the mandate to prosecute senior political and military leaders for the crime of aggression against Ukraine.

The joint project will be managed by the Council of Europe. It will lay the groundwork for the election of the Special Tribunal’s judges and prosecutor, and the development of the tribunal’s rules of procedure and evidence, as well as its court management system.

The advance team will also support stakeholder engagements to bolster support for the Special Tribunal.

The European Union will contribute with €10 million to the Special Tribunal Advance Team (STAT) project through the European Commission’s Service for Foreign Policy Instruments.

The project will last for a maximum of 24 months, or until the work can be funded via the future Enlarged Partial Agreement on the Management Committee of the Special Tribunal.

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