Ukraine's Sybiha Responds to Lavrov: Russia Will Face a Special Tribunal

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha issued a sharp rebuke to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on October 12, 2026, dismissing Lavrov's claims about Ukraine and reaffirming that Russia will face international legal accountability for its war of aggression.

Sybiha's Response

Sybiha stated that Lavrov's rhetoric cannot obscure the documented facts of Russian war crimes, including strikes on civilian infrastructure, the deportation of Ukrainian children, and attacks on medical facilities. He underlined that international partners continue to support the creation of a special tribunal to prosecute Russian officials for the crime of aggression.

Context

Efforts to establish an international special tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine have advanced with the backing of the EU, the Council of Europe, and dozens of individual states. The tribunal would complement the International Criminal Court's existing investigations. Ukraine insists that any peace settlement must include accountability mechanisms.