Senior European officials, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, announced on Tuesday (December 16, 2025) the creation of an international body based in The Hague to decide on the reparations Ukraine should receive as compensation for Russia’s invasion.
The so-called International Claims Commission for Ukraine, which is supported by 35 countries, will evaluate and decide on reparation claims, including the amounts to be paid.
There is currently a “damage register” in which around 80,000 claims for compensation from private individuals and organizations have been received.
“We hope that all compensation mechanisms … will be implemented and receive strong and sufficient international support so that people really feel that all the damage caused by the war can be compensated,” Zelenskyy told representatives at a meeting in The Hague.
“This war and Russia’s responsibility in it must be a clear example so that others learn not to choose aggression,” the Ukrainian president added.
The compensation process
In the medium term, the aim is to create a compensation fund, but its functioning is still unclear, particularly due to uncertainty about the possible use of frozen Russian assets.
The compensation mechanism is coordinated by the Strasbourg-based Council of Europe, a group of 46 countries tasked with protecting human rights on the continent and from which Russia was expelled in March 2022 following its invasion of Ukraine.
“The creation of the compensation fund should take place within a period of around 12 to 18 months,” Alain Berset, secretary general of the council, told reporters.
The main problem will be finding the necessary funds for the repairs. EU leaders must agree on the use of frozen Russian assets at the summit starting on Thursday.
Although this plan is supported by many European Union members, including Germany, it faces strong opposition from Belgium, home to the international depository Euroclear, which owns the majority of Russian assets.
The country fears legal consequences of possible use of these assets.
gs (afp, efe)
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