The EU and 34 Countries Sign Convention to Establish an International Commission for Compensation for Damage Caused to Ukraine by Russian Aggression

The Council of Europe announced the launch of the International Compensation Commission for Ukraine. Its goal is to ensure compensation for Kyiv for damage caused by Russian attacks and war crimes.

The Council of Europe reported this, according to Espreso.tv.

More than 50 states, including 16 EU members, have prepared a Council of Europe convention on establishing the commission. It will enter into force after ratification by at least 25 signatories, provided that sufficient funding for its activities is secured.

The commission will examine, assess, and decide on claims submitted to the Register of Damage Caused by the Aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, and will determine the amount of compensation in each individual case.

The Register is already operational and is accepting claims from Ukrainian citizens via the Diia web portal. Claims may be submitted for damage, losses, or bodily injuries caused by Russia’s actions committed in Ukraine or against Ukraine after the start of the invasion on February 24, 2022. Applicants may be affected individuals, companies, or the state of Ukraine, according to the draft proposal.

Details on how compensation awarded by the commission will be paid have not yet been agreed, Reuters reports. Initial discussions focused on the possibility of using frozen Russian assets and additional contributions from EU member states.

“The goal is to have verified claims that will eventually be paid by Russia. It is Russia that must pay for this. However, this commission provides no guarantees that compensation will actually be paid,” said Dutch Foreign Minister David van Weel.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha noted that justice is a key, inseparable element of real and lasting peace for Ukraine.

“Achieving justice is a team effort and a long game. And we are successfully moving along this path. Russia and Russians must be punished and must pay for their crimes,” the Ukrainian foreign minister emphasized.

Since 2023, the Register of Damage has already received more than 86,000 claims submitted by individuals, organizations, and state institutions in Ukraine across a wide range of categories.

The World Bank has estimated the cost of reconstruction over the next decade at $524 billion. However, this estimate covers the period only up to December 2024 and does not include damage inflicted in 2025.

On December 12, EU ambassadors officially approved the procedure for the early freezing of Russian assets.

EMPR