EU leaders launch Ukraine war damages commission

Ukraine and 34 other nations launched the International Claims Commission for Ukraine on Tuesday in a bid to ensure Kyiv is financially compensated for damage from Russian attacks and alleged war crimes.

“Every Russian war crime must have consequences for those who committed them,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said, before 34 European leaders signed a convention to formally launch the commission at Tuesday’s gathering in The Hague (Reuters).

Details on how the damages will be funded are still to be determined, with early discussions touching on using Russian assets frozen by the EU, along with member contributions.

It comes as US officials reported resolving “90%” of the issues between Russia and Ukraine, as they negotiate proposals with Zelensky in Berlin on a peace deal that could be finalised within days (The Guardian).

Zelensky expressed a wary optimism about the US proposals but suggested that what would make them acceptable to Ukraine might prompt Russia to reject them (NYTimes).

If an agreement is reached between the US and Ukraine, American envoys would then present the deal to the Kremlin before further meetings in the US next weekend (ABC).