35 countries sign reparations convention for Ukraine in The Hague

Representatives of 35 countries signed the convention, which provides for the commission to operate under the auspices of the Council of Europe.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy took part in the event.

According to Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset, the creation of the Register of Damage for Ukraine in 2023 marked the first stage of an international compensation mechanism.

The second stage will be the work of the International Claims Commission, which will deal with compensation for damage caused by Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.

These two instruments will ensure a systematic approach to collecting and verifying data on damages, as well as identifying responsible individuals and states required to provide compensation.

The third stage of the global mechanism will be the creation of a compensation fund from which Ukraine will be able to pay reparations.

Sources of funding are still being discussed, but most of the money is likely to come from frozen Russian assets or the interest accrued on them.

Ukraine’s register of damage

The International Register of Damage caused by Russian aggression was established on May 17, 2023, during the Council of Europe summit in Reykjavik.

This marked the first step in creating a global compensation mechanism for Ukraine. Forty countries joined the initiative, and an office of the Register was opened in Kyiv.

In April 2024, the Register began accepting claims from citizens whose homes were destroyed during the war. Ukrainians can now submit applications to the International Register of Damage under 10 categories, with the number expected to grow to 45 by the end of 2025.

In October, Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset explained where the funds to compensate Ukraine for damage caused by Russia would come from.

Meanwhile, RBC-Ukraine published detailed instructions on how to submit claims via the Diia app.