World must ensure Russia is held legally accountable for the war — Zelenskyy

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy insists that countries worldwide must ensure Russia’s legal accountability for war crimes.

The President of Ukraine stressed during a joint press conference with Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof in The Hague on December 16, 2025, that the work of legal teams preparing the system to hold Russia accountable is ongoing.

“There must be a day when Ukrainians can say that Russia is truly being held accountable for what it has done – for this war, for all the killings, for all the suffering,” he said, pledging that Ukraine, for its part, “will do everything necessary to bring Russian murderers to justice.”

Zelensky thanked the Netherlands for agreeing to host legal bodies to hold Russia accountable, including the Compensation Commission, which countries plan to establish through an agreement to be signed in The Hague on December 16.

He also pointed out that the world must fulfill the agreement to establish a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine.

“It is important that all instruments of justice work – from the tribunal on Russia’s aggression to the Compensation Commission,” he said.

Previously, Dr. Anton Korynevych, Director of the International Law Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, explained that the Special Tribunal will become a global mechanism, with countries in Latin America, Africa, and Asia invited to join it. Ukraine is finalizing the treaty for an international committee that will govern the tribunal and influence its operations, including the appointment of judges. 

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ZMINA previously reported that the European Union agreed to allocate the first 10 million euros for the creation of the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine and another 6 million euros for victims of sexual violence committed by Russian military personnel.