The Hague

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and representatives of around 30 countries are expected to formally approve plans on Tuesday to establish an international compensation body to assess and pay claims for damage caused to Ukraine by Russia’s invasion, though uncertainty remains over how the mechanism will be funded.

The approval is set to take place at a ceremony in The Hague, following recent peace-related discussions in Berlin involving US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

During the talks, Zelenskyy signalled readiness to drop Ukraine’s bid to join NATO in exchange for strong Western security guarantees, but firmly rejected US proposals suggesting territorial concessions to Russia.

“These security guarantees are an opportunity to prevent another wave of Russian aggression,” Zelenskyy said in response to questions from journalists. “And this is already a compromise on our part.”

The compensation mechanism, known as the International Claims Commission, is being facilitated by the Council of Europe, the continent’s leading human rights body. The commission will allow Ukrainians to seek compensation for “damage, loss or injury” resulting from actions of the Russian Federation since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022.

The commission will assess claims submitted to the Register of Damage, which was launched at a Council of Europe summit in Iceland in 2023 and is headquartered in The Hague. According to officials, around 80,000 claims have already been filed.

“There will be no reliable peace without justice,” Zelenskyy said in a video address to Council of Europe leaders.

While the Council of Europe maintains that Russia should bear the cost of compensation, there is no established mechanism to compel Moscow to pay. One proposal under discussion involves using tens of billions of dollars in frozen Russian assets held in Europe.

The commission requires at least 25 signatories to come into force, but more than 30 countries are expected to join, making it one of the largest initial treaty signings in the Council of Europe’s history.

Most participating countries are European, and the European Union has indicated it will also join. Canada, Japan and Mexico have sent delegations to the signing ceremony.

Many of the same nations are also backing the creation of a separate international court, under the Council of Europe framework, aimed at prosecuting senior Russian officials over the invasion.

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As part of his visit, Zelenskyy is also scheduled to address the Dutch parliament and meet King Willem-Alexander.