On Wednesday, June 25, Kyiv signed a deal with the Council of Europe regarding the establishment of a Special Tribunal to investigate crimes of aggression against Ukraine.

President Volodymyr Zelensky stated at the signing ceremony alongside Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Alan Berse: «Justice takes time, but it must be achieved».

A month prior, the European Union expressed its support for the tribunal's establishment in Lviv.

But what exactly is a crime of aggression? How does the Special Tribunal operate? What distinguishes it from the International Criminal Court?

Here are eight key points to understand about the tribunal's capabilities and limitations.

What is a crime of aggression?

According to the ICC's summary, a crime of aggression is defined as «the use of armed force by a state against the sovereignty, territorial integrity, or independence of another state».

This means that the leadership of the state that initiated the invasion will be held accountable.

A crime of aggression is one of the four core crimes outlined in the Rome Statute: genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes (serious violations of the Geneva Conventions), and finally, the crime of aggression.