Today, on 30 April 2026, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has ratified the Convention on the Establishment of an International Claims Commission for Ukraine, signed on behalf of Ukraine by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha on 16 December 2025 in The Hague.
The adoption of this Law, supported by 283 votes of the Members of Parliament of Ukraine, reaffirms our State's consistent position in advancing the international compensation mechanism for damage, loss and injury caused by the aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine.
The ratification of the Convention sends a clear message to the aggressor and to our partners: the inevitability of accountability is transforming from a principle into a functioning mechanism. Every destroyed home, every destroyed school or hospital, every lost life will result in justice and compensation. I am sincerely grateful to the President of Ukraine for his leadership on the accountability track for Russian crimes, and to the Members of Parliament of Ukraine for their principled and consolidated support. This is our shared work for the sake of justice for the Ukrainian people,” emphasized the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Andrii Sybiha.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses its gratitude to colleagues across all agencies and institutions for their teamwork, in particular to Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Iryna Mudra for coordinating efforts, as well as to the team of the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine and all partners who contributed to the preparation of the document.
In addition to Ukraine, the Convention has already been ratified by Estonia, Latvia and Iceland. Ukraine highly values the leadership of these States and calls on the other signatories of the Convention to complete the relevant domestic procedures as soon as possible – every subsequent act of ratification brings closer the moment of the Convention's entry into force and the start of the Commission's work in the interests of all victims of Russian aggression.
The Convention was opened for signature on 16 December 2025 during the high-level Diplomatic Conference in The Hague. At that time, it was signed by 35 States and the European Union – a record number of signatories that demonstrated unprecedented international solidarity with Ukraine.
The Convention is the second component of the international compensation mechanism, alongside the Register of Damage Caused by the Aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine and the future compensation fund.
The Claims Commission is being established as an independent international body within the institutional framework of the Council of Europe. It will examine claims for compensation for damage, losses, and harm caused by the internationally wrongful acts of the Russian Federation in Ukraine or against Ukraine, and will determine the amount of compensation in each individual case.
With the launch of the Commission’s work, the transition from the Register to the Commission will be organized in a way that ensures continuity of the process: the Commission will become the successor to the Register, together with its digital platform and data.
The Register of Damage is already operational and is accepting applications through the Diia web portal (Diia). As of today, 21 categories of claims have been opened out of the 43 planned, including those related to the death or disappearance of loved ones, personal injury, torture, forced displacement, and damage to or destruction of housing. In addition, categories for legal entities and the State of Ukraine have recently been opened concerning damage, destruction, or loss of critical and non-critical infrastructure and assets. Claims cover damage caused starting from 24 February 2022 within the internationally recognized borders of Ukraine.