High-ranking European officials gathered on Tuesday to create an international organization tasked with assessing and determining reparations potentially amounting to tens of billions of euros for Ukraine due to Russia’s full-scale invasion.
The International Claims Commission for Ukraine is designed to evaluate claims for reparation and decide on the corresponding compensation amounts.
This body was anticipated to receive approval during a major summit in The Hague, featuring Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas.
The creation of the commission follows the launch of a “Register of Damages,” which has already collected over 80,000 claims from both individuals and organizations seeking reparations.
The next phase includes establishing a compensation fund, though details on how this essential element will operate remain unclear.
The reparations framework is being managed by the Council of Europe, based in Strasbourg, which consists of 46 nations dedicated to protecting human rights across the continent.
Dutch Foreign Minister David van Weel informed the media that the new commission will be headquartered in The Hague.
European Union leaders are being urged to come to a consensus regarding the frozen Russian assets at a summit commencing on Thursday.
They are exploring avenues to finance a loan for Kyiv that would be repaid through any future Russian reparations to Ukraine.
While this proposal has garnered considerable support from several member states, including influential Germany, it has faced strong opposition from Belgium.
Belgium is home to Euroclear, the international deposit organization that manages most Russian assets, and has so far declined the proposal due to concerns over possible legal implications.
The ongoing discussions regarding frozen assets occur amidst ongoing efforts to resolve the Ukraine conflict, which U.S. President Donald Trump noted is “closer now than we have ever been.”
After two days of discussions with senior U.S. officials in Berlin, Zelensky commented that the negotiations were “challenging” but yielded “significant progress” concerning security guarantees.
On Monday, European leaders proposed a European-led “multinational force,” with support from the U.S., to uphold a potential peace agreement.
“Accountability, reparations, and reconstruction discussions must be integral to the peace talks,” stated Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset upon arriving at the meeting in The Hague.
