What did Europe and Moscow signal before 4 May 2026?
A look back at a tribunal resolution and a Victory Day ceasefire offer in the days before the covered date.
What was on the table in the days before 4 May 2026? Two developments, one from Brussels and Strasbourg's parliamentary side and one from Moscow, framed the diplomatic backdrop to the war in Ukraine.
On 1 May 2026, the European Parliament adopted a resolution supporting the establishment of a special tribunal to prosecute Russian leaders for crimes related to the war in Ukraine. The text also called for sanctions to remain in place until a peace agreement is fully implemented.
The tribunal idea concerns the crime of aggression. As later described, the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine is an ad hoc international criminal tribunal meant to prosecute individuals responsible for the invasion, complementing the existing International Criminal Court investigation in Ukraine.
On 29 April 2026, during a phone call with U.S. president Donald Trump, Russian president Vladimir Putin offered a ceasefire for Victory Day on 9 May.
Together, the two items showed a push for accountability and continued sanctions on one side and a short-term ceasefire proposal on the other.
