Europe may not have enough money to create an international tribunal against Russia — Euronews

There may not be enough money to create an international tribunal against Russia.

This was reported by the Euronews portal, citing sources.

According to the outlet, with U.S. funding for Ukraine being reduced, the implementation of this idea is in jeopardy. Europeans fear they won’t be able to shoulder such an initiative on their own.

The G7 European countries—namely France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom—are key donors to the Council of Europe. So far, they are not taking an active part in the project. At this stage, it is unclear whether they will participate in the tribunal’s annual funding.

The Council of Europe initially presented a draft budget that includes general operating costs related to the tribunal of about €75 million per year. Additional funding for premises and security would increase expenses further. In addition, the EU would need to allocate €10 million annually as its contribution.

The tribunal is planned to be located in the Netherlands.

To begin work, the tribunal must gather a certain minimum number of participating countries. But for the Ukraine case this number has not yet been defined. Typically, the minimum is 16, although in Ukraine’s case, experts believe more countries should join. Sources suggested that it’s not only about the number, but also about the significance and influence of the participants in international relations.