Zelenskyj calls on Europe to set up a special tribunal

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy calls for a special European tribunal to compensate Ukraine for war losses at the hands of the Russian army. "Europe can now play a historic role," Zelenskyy said in a speech to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe via video link. With the help of such a tribunal, Russian assets could be used to compensate for war losses "when peace and tranquility return to Ukraine".

Cutting Moscow's profits is crucial to ending the war. Russia rejects a "real dialogue" and only speaks the "language of terror". "Diplomacy will not stop Russia," said Zelenskyy. "Russia must be forced to think about the meaning of peace." Russia must feel that it must take responsibility for what it has done - the destruction in Ukraine, but also the international consequences such as hunger and energy shortages.

"Never in history has Europe been as strong as it is today," said Zelenskyj. "Together we isolate Russia."

Militarily, Zelenskyj demanded modern air force systems. "We must protect our skies against Russian terror," said the President. In addition, the Zaporizhia region with the largest nuclear power plant in Ukraine must be demilitarized.

Zelenskyj also defended the German commitment. The German government is supporting Kyiv with modern weapons systems, and the first Iris-T air defense system arrived in Ukraine yesterday. That doesn't protect the entire Ukrainian sky, but it's a start.

The assembly was then to discuss the effects of the Russian war against Ukraine. Ukraine is a member of the Council of Europe, which has 46 members. Until recently, Russia was also a member of the Council of Europe, but was expelled in March after the invasion of Ukraine. The country organization based in Strasbourg is committed to democracy, human rights and the rule of law.