European officials are launching an effort to compensate Kyiv for hundreds of billions of dollars in damages caused by Russia since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was in The Hague on Tuesday for the formal establishment of the International Claims Commission.
The commission is the result of a treaty signed by 35 countries at Tuesday’s conference. It will assess claims for reparations, including any monetary amounts to be paid out, and will form the second part of a compensation mechanism linked to the existing Register of Damages for Ukraine, officials said.
“The Council of Europe and partners have been supporting Ukraine in resisting Russia’s full-scale invasion since day one,” Alain Berset, secretary general of the Council of Europe, said in a statement. “Working together, we must now be ready to support Ukraine in achieving a just and lasting peace.”
He stated that the Register of Damages to Ukraine, established in 2023, and the International Claims Commission will serve as independent international tools for seeking compensation from Moscow for its conduct during the war.
Mr. Zelenskyy said the International Claims Commission should have been established several years ago.
“We hope that the tribunal on Russian aggression will indeed begin its work, not just for us but for everyone who strives for peace in Europe,” he posted on Telegram. “We expect that all compensation mechanisms, from the Register of Damages and the Compensation Commission, to the actual payments, will start operating and receive strong and sufficient international support.”
• Mike Glenn can be reached at mglenn@washingtontimes.com.
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