EU to set up register of damage in Ukraine to collect compensation from Russia

At the summit of the Council of Europe in Reykjavík, which will take place on May 16-17, a decision is expected to be made on the creation of a special register in The Hague of the destruction in Ukraine caused by Russia's full-scale invasion, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, announced at a press conference on the eve of the summit.

The register is created to determine the amount of compensation that will be collected from Russia for the restoration of Ukraine.

"In Reykjavik, we will discuss how to hold Russia accountable. We will also decide on setting up a register of damage in The Hague. This will be the first step towards Russian compensation," von der Leyen stated.

The creation of the register of destruction was announced at the end of April by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iceland, Þórdís Kolbrún Reykfjörð Gylfadóttir.

"The register under the auspices of the Council of Europe, but with the broad support of the world's leading states, will be a historic event and, most importantly, an important step towards bringing to justice the crimes committed in this brutal war, and a strong message of support for Ukraine," the minister said.

Iceland chairs the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe.

The restoration of Ukraine will be one of the main topics of the summit.

The summit in Reykjavík will bring together the heads of state and government of 46 member states of the organization. This is the 4th summit of the Council of Europe since the creation of the organization in 1949.