The European Commission is considering the possibility of creating an international prosecutor's office to investigate crimes of Russian aggression against Ukraine.
European Commissioner for Justice Didier Reynders said this during a speech in the European Parliament on Tuesday, writes Euractiv.
The European Commission put forward a proposal to create a specialized tribunal to prosecute Moscow's leadership in November, but so far there is no consensus in the EU on its creation.
Reynders noted that there remain "complex legal and political issues" that require further discussion between EU states and international partners.
"Before discussions about a special tribunal can gather sufficient consensus and support at the international level, an investigation mechanism could first be considered," Reynders said.
"The commission is considering the possible creation of an international prosecutor's office to start an investigation into the crime of aggression in order to preserve and preserve evidence for possible future trials," Reynders said.
According to him, discussions on "legal and security issues" surrounding this plan are ongoing with the authorities of Ukraine, the International Criminal Court and the EU agency for legal cooperation "Eurojust".
MEPs in Strasbourg are expected to back a non-binding resolution calling for the tribunal later this week.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba, called on them to take this step the day before.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Berbock supported the creation of a special tribunal to hold Russia accountable for the crime of aggression against Ukraine.
