EU ambassadors back new compensation mechanism for victims of Russia's war

Prefer on Google by Chris Powers European Union flags seen waving in front of the EU Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium on Feb. 26, 2026 (Photo by Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images) EU ambassadors have approved creating a body that would award damages to those who have suffered material damage as a result of Russia's illegal war against Ukraine, two EU officials told the Kyiv Independent on May 6. To begin work, 25 countries need to complete that ratification process, though more are expected to do so ahead of a May 15 Council of Europe meeting in Chisinau, where concrete progress is expected. Aside from Ukraine itself , no country has so far ratified the International Claims Commission, the body that will handle compensation requests from the war's victims. The EU is seeking to be a signatory in its own right. The approval of ambassadors followed a vote in the European Parliament on April 30 in support of the idea. The final step is for EU national ministers to vote, which could happen as soon as May 11 when foreign ministers meet in Brussels. Along with the International Claims Commission, the EU has also thrown its weight behind a Special Tribunal to prosecute Russia's leadership for launching a war of aggression against Ukraine. The tribunal now has more than enough countries backing it for it to proceed, and the Ukrainian government expects the bodies to begin work properly in 2027. The International Claims Commission, however, still has one big question left unanswered: once it agrees to recognize a compensation claim and award damages, where will the money to pay that compensation actually come from?