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Government approves Estonia's accession to the convention establishing the international claims commission for Ukraine

Republic of Estonia - Ministry of Foreign Affairs

04.12.2025 | 12:17

Today, 4 December, the Government of the Republic approved the draft bill by which Estonia will accede to the convention establishing an international claims commission for Ukraine under the framework of the Council of Europe. The commission's task is to assess the damage caused by Russia's aggression in Ukraine and determine compensation amounts.

According to Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna, the establishment of the commission is an important step in holding Russia accountable. "Through its aggression in Ukraine, Russia has gravely violated international law, with devastating consequences - Ukraine's people, cities, infrastructure and environment have all suffered," the minister emphasised. "Russia must compensate for all the damage it has caused through violations of international law. The claims commission, together with the already functioning register of damage, will help ensure that impunity does not prevail and that Ukraine receives fair compensation."

Minister Tsahkna added that the next step is to establish mechanisms through which the compensation awarded by the commission can actually be paid out. "The burden of compensating for war damage must rest with the aggressor," he stressed. He also underlined the necessity of broad international support for the convention establishing the commission.

The claims commission will form the second pillar of a comprehensive international compensation mechanism for Ukraine. The first pillar is the register of damage created in May 2023 under the Council of Europe framework, which collects and records claims and supporting evidence. To date, more than 73,000 claims have been registered across 13 categories. The commission's role is to verify the validity of claims and determine the amounts to be compensated. The next step will be the creation of a compensation fund to reimburse claims approved by the commission to the Ukrainian state, individuals and businesses.

The convention establishing the claims commission will be signed on 16 December at a diplomatic conference in The Hague, with Estonia participating. The convention is open to both Council of Europe member states and non‑members, including the European Union. Estonia supports the EU's accession to the convention. Following signature, the convention will be submitted to the Riigikogu for ratification.