France becomes 18th country to back Ukraine tribunal on Russia’s aggression

France has officially confirmed its readiness to join the Enlarged Partial Agreement on the Management Committee of the Special Tribunal over the “crime of aggression” against Ukraine, becoming the 18th participating country.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, sharing a post on X, thanked Paris for supporting the initiative and stressed that the growing number of participating countries strengthens the international coalition backing the tribunal’s creation, Caliber.Az reports.

I am grateful to France for officially confirming its intent to join the Enlarged Partial Agreement on the Management Committee of the Special Tribunal.

Already 18 @CoE member states are in. The agreement will be put to a vote of the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers in…

— Andrii Sybiha 🇺🇦 (@andrii_sybiha) April 15, 2026

According to Sybiha France’s decision marks an important step in the process of launching a mechanism intended to ensure legal accountability for the crime of aggression, noting “this process will have a profound significance for the entire international community.”

Previously, Poland and Iceland had also joined the initiative.

“The agreement will be put to a vote of the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers in May. We encourage all states, both within the Council of Europe and beyond it, to take part in this historic process,” he said.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov