Russia

Ukraine and its backers on Friday gave the green light to setting up a special tribunal to try Russia's top leadership for the "crime of aggression."But what does this mean and how will it work?Here is what to know about the tribunal:Why is this tribunal needed?Ukraine and its supporters want to see justice served for Russia's all-out invasion in 2022.The International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague has already issued arrest warrants for President Vladimir Putin over the abduction of Ukrainian children, and four of his top commanders for targeting civilians.But the ICC does not have the jurisdiction to prosecute Russia for the more fundamental decision to launch the invasion otherwise known as the "crime of aggression."This new tribunal seeks to close that loophole and focuses on trying to hold the top roughly 20 to 30 officials in Russia responsible for the all-out assault."This has to convey the message that there is no impunity for such grave violations of international law, and the crime of aggression is the mother of all," an EU official said.Will Putin be tried?Putin won't face trialfor as long as he remains in office under a principle in international law granting the so-called "troika" of president, prime minister and foreign minister immunity.But prosecutors from the court can still draw up an indictment for the Russian leader, which would then be put on hold by judges until he is no longer president.The other suspects beyond the "troika" could meanwhile face trial, including in absentia if they are not handed over to the court.Anyone found guilty could face up to life imprisonment and have their assets confiscated and used to pay reparations to Ukraine.How will it work?Experts from Ukraine and the roughly 35 other countries involved have spent some two years wrangling over the legal details of how a tribunal would work.Officially, the court will be established under the auspices of the Council of Europe the continent's top human rights body.Investigators from Ukraine and six EU member states have begun work and collected a wealth of evidence already.Officials say they hope the tribunal will be formally established early next year and once it is the cases will be transferred to prosecutors at the court.The location of the tribunal is still to be decided, but likely destinations include The Hague or the home of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg.Is the United States involved?The United States was a key player in pushing talks on setting up the court under former President Joe Biden.That has changed since Donald Trump returned to the White House, and there was no representative from Washington present for the endorsement in Lviv.Trump is not a fan of efforts for international justice and has threatened the ICC over its arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.But his comeback appears to have sped up the creation of the tribunal, as European officials fear his push for a peace deal could mean Moscow escapes justice for good.Ukraine and its backers insist that there should not be impunity for Putin and his cronies under any deal to end the war.





Unlimited Portal Access + Monthly Magazine - 12 issues


Contribute US to Start Broadcasting - It's Voluntary!


ADVERTISE


Merchandise (Peace Series)

 


[Russia] - Interior Ministry Issues Arrest Warrant for Indigenous Activist Sargylana Kondakova


[Russia] - Popular St. Petersburg Bookstore Fined $10K for 'LGBT Propaganda'A judge in St. Petersburg ordered the century-old bookstore Podpisniye Izdaniya to pay a fine of 800,000 rubles ($10,000) after it was discovered to promote LGBT propaganda, reg


Lavrov Blames Arms Delays to Armenia on Russia’s Confrontation With West


[Russia] - Putin Jokes About Occupying Ukraine's Sumy Region


[Russia] - Kremlin Walks Back Criticism of Trump's 'Golden Dome' Missile Defense Plan


Former Pro-Kremlin Ukrainian Lawmaker Shot Dead Near Madrid


Rosneft Takes Over Russia’s Largest Rare Earth Deposit


[Russia] - Moscow Airports Temporarily Halt Flights Amid Drone Attacks


[Russia] - Poland Intervenes as Russian 'Shadow Fleet' Ship Spotted Near Power Cable


Police Arrest Ex-Convicts After They Flee Military Base in Rostov Region


Salaries for Russian Freelancers Abroad See 14% Increase in 2024


[Russia] - Russian Missile Strike on Ukrainian Shooting Range Kills 6 Servicemen


Ukrainian Drones Target Russian Semiconductor Plant and Disrupt Internet Near Moscow


Putin Makes First Trip to Kursk Region Since Russian Army Expelled Ukrainian Forces


Russia Presses Criminal Charges Against Meduza Founder Timchenko


[Russia] - Rubio Says Trump Has Offered No 'Concession' to Putin


Jailed Billionaire Vadim Moshkovich Charged With Fraud


France Denies Telegram Founder Durov’s Request to Visit U.S. – Politico


Trump and Putin Shared ‘Warm’ Memories of Russia-U.S. Alliance in WWII, Kremlin Official Says


‘No One Will Bring My Husband Back’: Russian Military Widows Process Their Loss Through Social Media


FSB Seizes Nearly 2 Tons of South American Cocaine Bound for EU


Zelensky Accuses Putin of ‘Trying to Buy Time’ in Peace Talks


[Russia] - Russian Army Claims Advances in Sumy as Ukraine Orders Evacuations


U.K. Unveils New Sanctions on Russia After Unprecedented Drone Attack


[Russia] - No 'Real Concessions': Putin Used Trump Call to Delay, Not End Ukraine War, Experts Say


[Russia] - Wildfires in Zabaikalsky Region Inch Closer to Capital City


Russia Releases Greek-Owned Tanker After Brief Detention – Estonian Media


[Russia] - Trump Says Russia and Ukraine to 'Immediately Start' Ceasefire Talks After Putin Call


[Russia] - Russian Court Fines Apple for Violating 'LGBT Propaganda' Law


Ukrainian Attacks Have Killed 600 Russian Civilians Since Full-Scale Invasion, Chief Investigator Claims


[Russia] - Satellite Images Show Russian Military Buildup Near Finland-- NYT


[Russia] - EU Likely to Propose Lowering G7 Price Cap on Russian Oil to $50 Per Barrel


‘It Will Never Be the Same’: Can the West Win Back Russia’s Market from China


Legendary Russian Choreographer Yury Grigorovich Dies at 98


Russia Declares Amnesty International ‘Undesirable’


[Russia] - Kremlin Calls Romanian Presidential Election 'Strange' After Centrist Defeats Far-Right Rival


[Russia] - Pro-War Pop Icon Shaman to Represent Russia at Upcoming Eurovision Copycat


[Russia] - FSB Arrests 9 Accused of Plotting Attacks on Police in Stavropol Region


[Russia] - Ukrainian Drone Strike Kills Woman in Belgorod Region


[Russia] - Estonia Says Russia Detained Greek-Owned Tanker in Gulf of Finland


[Russia] - Poland Seizes Boeing Aircraft Parts Headed for Russia


Telegram Founder Durov Says He Rejected Western Request to ‘Silence’ Conservative Voices in Romania


[Russia] - Russia to Launch ICBM Sunday as Show of Intimidation, Ukrainian Intelligence says


[Russia] - European Leaders to Speak With Trump Before Putin Call, Merz Says


Russia Launches War’s Largest Drone Attack Just Days After Peace Talks, Ukraine Says


Trump Says He Will Call Putin and Zelensky on Monday


Putin-Zelensky Meeting Possible After ‘Agreements’ Reached


[Russia] - Russian Drone Attack in Sumy Kills 9, Ukraine states, Just Hours After Peace Talks


Kremlin Negotiator Invokes Peter the Great’s 21-Year War With Sweden in Ukraine Talks


Farm Equipment Giant Rostselmash to Furlough 15K Workers Amid Slumping Sales


Russia and Ukraine Agree to Prisoner Swap After First Direct Talks Since 2022


[Russia] - Who Is Vladimir Medinsky, the Kremlin's Key Negotiator in IstanbulRussia and Ukraine on Friday held almost two hours of peace talks in Turkey, the 2 sides 'first direct negotiations given that their failed talks in the early weeks of the Kreml


Mass Blackout Hits Siberia's Coal-Producing Kemerovo Region


[Russia] - Ukraine Says Russia Returned Nearly 1K Bodies of Fallen Soldiers


[Russia] - Russian Orthodox Church Begins Training 'Military Clergy'Russia's Orthodox Church has released theological programs in the cities of Yekaterinburg and Rostov-on-Don focused on training priests to work alongside the military.A master's program c


[Russia] - Justice Ministry Asks Russian Supreme Court to Disband Civic Initiative Party


[Russia] - Rustem Umerov: The 'Charismatic' Defense Minister Leading Kyiv's Delegation in Istanbul


Candle Factory Explosion Injures 3 in Bashkortostan


[Russia] - Rubio Arrives in Istanbul Ahead of Ukraine Peace Negotiations


[Russia] - Turkey to Hold Talks With Russian and Ukrainian Teams on Friday-- FM Source


Putin Sacks Chief of Military's Land Forces


[Russia] - Harvard Medical School Scientist Faces U.S. Smuggling Charges, Possible Deportation to Russia


Eurasian Economic Union Free Trade Deal With Iran Goes Into Effect


Ukrainian Delegation En Route to Istanbul for First Direct Peace Talks With Russia Since 2022


FSB Arrests Former Top Managers at Explosives Maker Avangard


[Russia] - Kazakhstan Denies Russia Plans Early Exit From Baikonur Spaceport


[Russia] - Authorities Arrest Publishing House Staff Over Alleged LGBTQ+ Books


Moscow Metro Installs Replica of Stalin Monument


What’s the Situation on the Front Lines as Russia-Ukraine Talks Begin


[Russia] - Estonia Says Russian Military Jet Violated Airspace After Attempt to Detain 'Shadow Fleet' Tanker


[Russia] - Behind the Diplomatic Curtain: Why Putin Refused to Meet Zelensky in Istanbul


[Russia] - Putin Won't Attend Istanbul Talks, Taps Kremlin Aide Medinsky to Lead Delegation


Putin Meets With Malaysian Prime Minister in Moscow


[Russia] - Stavropol Court Sentences 4 More Dagestan Airport Rioters to ten years in Prison


[Russia] - Private Clinics Suspend Abortion Services in Vologda Region, Governor Says


[Russia] - Trump Says He's Ready to Attend Istanbul Talks, But Unsure If Putin Will Show Up


[Russia] - Germany Rejects 95% of Asylum Requests From Draft-Eligible Russian Men


[Russia] - Germany Arrests 3 Ukrainians Accused of Plotting Sabotage for Russia


[Russia] - 'Hey, Comrade Putin, Just Go': Brazil's Lula Urges Kremlin Leader to Join Istanbul Talks


[Russia] - Election Monitor Grigory Melkonyants Sentenced to 5 Years for 'Undesirable' Affiliation


[Russia] - Putin Approves Emergency Support Measures for Ailing Coal Industry


EU Approves New Sanctions on Russia Targeting Shadow Oil Fleet


Ukrainian Drone Attacks on Belgorod Region Injure At Least 16, Governor Says


[Russia] - Moscow Court Jails Exiled 'Putin Banker' Sergei Pugachev 14 Years in Absentia


Putin Claims Russia Is Recruiting Nearly Twice as Many Soldiers as Ukraine


Why Does Putin Suddenly Want Direct Peace Talks With Ukraine


India Approves More Russian Insurers to Provide Marine Cover


At Least 10 Ex-Convicts Flee Army Base in Rostov Region — Reports


Kremlin Yet to Confirm Who It’s Sending to Istanbul Talks With Ukraine


Zelensky Will Only Meet With Putin in Istanbul, Aide Says


Siberia’s Buryatia Declares Wildfire Emergency