Ukraine strikes Novorossiysk naval base, destroys Russian missile carriers

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), in a legal committee report, suggests leveraging frozen Russian assets to compensate Ukraine for the damage inflicted during Russia's aggressive war. The initiative aims to utilize these assets to address human rights violations, as determined by the European Court of Human Rights in two international cases filed by Ukraine.

However, the court has yet to specify the exact compensation Russia must provide. The scale of Ukraine's damage, unprecedented in the Council of Europe's history, could potentially lead to awards ranging from billions to hundreds of billions of euros. The Parliamentary Assembly proposes setting up a special mechanism under the Council of Europe's supervision to mobilize these frozen assets, which amount to approximately EUR 260 billion, with about EUR 210 billion held within the EU.

PACE also emphasizes that Russia's expulsion from the Council of Europe on March 16, 2022, and its subsequent withdrawal from the European Convention on Human Rights does not absolve Russia from adhering to the court's rulings on violations committed before its exit from the Convention. Additionally, PACE recommends establishing a public list of individuals responsible for extensive human rights violations, for which Russia has been held accountable, and whose legal accountability has not yet been addressed.

This list will be made available to member states, the EU, and the International Criminal Court for potential sanctions or criminal prosecution.