‘Historic Step’ – 35 States Back New Claims Body to Make Russia Pay for War Damage

Thirty-five countries signed a convention in the Netherlands on Tuesday, Dec. 16, establishing an International Claims Commission for Ukraine to address damage caused by Russia’s invasion.

“In the Hague, together with 34 states and the European Union, and on the instructions of President Volodymyr Zelensky, I had the honor of signing the Convention establishing an International Claims Commission for Ukraine. Thirty-five is a record number of states. This is a historic step,” Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha wrote on X.

The convention stipulates that the commission will operate under the auspices of the Council of Europe.

Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset said the creation of the Register of Damage for Ukraine in 2023 marked the first step of an international compensation mechanism, according to Ukrainian media reports.

The International Register of Damage Caused by Russian Aggression was established on May 17, 2023, during the Council of Europe summit in Reykjavik. Forty states have joined the initiative, and the Register’s office has been opened in Kyiv.

In April 2024, the register began accepting claims from citizens whose homes were destroyed by the invasion. Ukrainians can currently submit applications in 10 categories, with the number expected to expand to 45 by the end of 2025.

The second stage will involve the International Claims Commission, which will assess and process claims for damages caused by Moscow’s invasion.

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Together, the Register of Damage and the Claims Commission will establish a systematic approach to documenting losses, verifying claims, and identifying individuals and states responsible for compensation.

The third stage of the mechanism will be the creation of a compensation fund to compensate for the damages. While funding sources are still under discussion, the bulk of the money is expected to come from frozen Russian assets or the interest they generate.