But what to do with the world’s democracies in trying to compel payment of war reparations with no clear way it could be leveraged? The scenario at the Hague would be explained by the forming of the International Claims Commission after the move by the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and the ratification of the move by the remaining heads of the state administrations of the world, which number 34 in total, in order to ensure the payment of the debt in favor of the widely invaded Ukraine.
This commission-considered with the facilitation of the Council of Europe-is said to transform the currently existing Register of Damage into a powerful legal body. It is also assumed that this commission will examine claims submitted by private individuals, companies, and public entities regarding the losses suffered since February 2022. However, the political urgency in the quest to establish the aforementioned commission is also a part of trying to utilize the frozen property of the Russian state to finance reconstruction in Ukraine. This is currently being met with legal warnings, diplomatic efforts, and warnings from the Russians.
1. Establishment of International Claims Commission
The Hague conference represented over 50 states of which 35 signed the convention for the establishment of the commission. Besides this is the Register of Damages, where more than 86 000 damages claims have been registered to date. The Secretary-General of the Council of Europe Alain Berset said that “it’s a big step ahead in making it possible for accountability for Ukraine” and accelerated the ratification procedure in order to make it possible for victims to see results as soon as possible.
I guess one just has to respect the dog’s feelings and give way. “This is certainly an important step further in making it possible for the responsibility in Ukraine,” said the Council Europe Secretary General Alain Berset in the conference held in Hague where about 35 countries from over 50 have signed the convention on the establishment of the commission aside from more than 86,000 signatures on the damage.
2. Response Internationale et Zelens
While delivering the address, Zelenskyy again made it clear that “any damage caused due to the war could be compensated if the level of support for the mechanisms is strong and robust.” In this regard, that would mean emphasizing the tactic that the Kyiv side is using during the present peace talk when it comes to compensation for war in connection with security guarantees.
3. Funding Gap And Frozen Assets Debate
Though the Council of Europe urges Russia to share for the service, little consequence ensues. They are also working to secure the immobilized €210 billion of Russian state funds in Europe, which lie with Euroclear in Belgium. They’ve contributed a starting amount of €1 million already, but the commission needs another contribution of €3.5 million, which will again come from the immobilized Russian state funds.
4. The Indefinite Asset Freeze by the EU
The EU has agreed on unlimited suspension of funds to the Russian central bank from December 12, making the six-month relevancy extension moot. Their aim is to secure a loan facility for up to €165 billion based on Ukrainian needs between 2026 and 2027, to be repaid only after satisfying the country’s war contributions to the Russian government. Germany has provided a guarantee of up to €50 billion since there was no better choice.
5. Legal & Geopolitical Risks
“Such an anteambient use of immobilized assets for securing a loan, it is argued, is deemed to be “a confiscation in disguise.” The circumstances that are cited include everything from the importance of the euro as a reserve currency to the loss of a chip during peace negotiations. That is how the Belgian Prime Minister named Bart De Wever accounted for the fact that due to international law countermeasures, foreign courts may not respect the legal bases established by the EU and thereby make Europe vulnerable to lawsuits.
6. The Legal Counteroffensive
The central bank of Russia has filed an action for damages to the value of €230 billion in Russian courts against Euroclear. The most plausible case would be that the Russians would start actions in friendly countries such as China and the UAE to enforce the suit. The EU has been cautious not to allow any third-party country to give any support to the Russians over this lawsuit or seize the properties of any member states of the EU.
7. Crossover of the Peace Negotiations
It is also tied to the current negotiations in Berlin led by the U.S. in which President Zelenskyy stated his government would withdraw its plans with regard to work on the creation of a NATO Membership Action Plan in return for an undertaking on security guarantees from the West. He has further rejected American calls to cede territory and instead has argued there should be a commitment on ceasefire lines at this time. Some representatives of those in an international coalition, in particular those from European countries, see an opportunity in terms of the reparations loan that has now presented itself at what is adjudged to be a ‘critical moment.’
8. Special Tribunal and Accountability Mechanism
Running parallel to the claims commission, another emerging process is the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression formulated by Ukraine and other nations, issuing an invitation to take part in the process within the continents of Latin America, Africa, and Asia. The role played by the governing body, according to Dr. Anton Korynevych, is to appoint the judges, thus making it truly multilateral. The International Centre for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression initiated its operation within the Eurojust platform
9. Potential Amnesty Complications
The reparations process for the victims may get its complexity if the peace agreement contains an amnesty clause regarding the conflict of the war crime committed throughout the conflict, an aspect the previous U.S. agreement contained, being part of the considerations previously formulated and agreed upon before the conflict began. Some aspects may subsequently shrink the repayment process for the sexual violence victims, the deportation of the displaced children, as well as the destruction of the property within the targeted culture.
10. Scale of Reconstruction Needs
within the Ukraine Reconstruction needs are estimated to reach the end of December 2024, according to the World Bank, to the tune of $524 billion, which is nearly half the Ukrainian GDP within the year 2024. However, none of the mentioned data relate to the destruction posed by the subsequent strike by the Russians within the latter end of 2025. Even as the outcome from the findings within the commission may determine the subsequent rules on how to reconstruct the state, the difference between the assessment and the subsequent donations may appear to be an astronomic gap until an ultimate funding.
