Leaders from across Europe are focused on holding Russia accountable for its invasion of Ukraine at a summit of the 46-member Council of Europe, the continent's guardian of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law.
The summit, which opened on May 16 in Reykjavik, Iceland, was poised to approve a system that would precisely calculate the damages Moscow would have to pay to rebuild Ukraine and compensate victims.
"There will be no reliable peace without justice," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told the summit by video address from Kyiv.
Zelenskiy, who just returned from a tour of European capitals, thanked Europe for the support and underlining the power of European unity.
He also highlighted Kyiv's claims to have shot down Russian hypersonic missiles earlier on May 16 using newly deployed Western military aid.
"A year ago, we were not able to shoot down most of the terrorists' missiles, especially ballistic ones," Zelenskiy said. "And I am asking one thing now: If we are able to do this, is there anything we can't do?"
The launch of the hypersonic missiles showed that Russia is "trying very hard to improve its ability to kill," while Ukraine is "trying very hard to improve the protection of our people," he said.
Russia has denied deliberately targeting civilians in its attacks, but evidence has shown that its forces have repeatedly hit residential buildings and civilian infrastructure.
The summit, the Council of Europe’s first in 18 years, brings together some 30 European heads of state and government. Russia is not among them, having been excluded from the group following the Kremlin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Belarus, a close ally of Russia, is only represented at the summit as an observer.
By the end of the two-day summit, participants want the outlines of a system in place so Moscow can be held liable for compensation to the victims and allow for Ukraine to start the economic healing process. They are hoping that the United States, which has observer status at the summit, will also back that initiative.
The World Bank in March estimated that Ukraine will need more than $400 billion for reconstruction.
"One of the anticipated outcomes of the Reykjavik Summit is the establishment of a register of damages where all those who have suffered damages, loss, or injury due to Russia's aggression can have them recorded and subsequently redressed, as well as to seek ways to make those who have committed crimes in Ukraine accountable for their actions," the government of Iceland said in a news release at its website.
Zelenskiy said in his video message that the register would lay the groundwork for "a full-fledged compensation mechanism."
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called for countries to back the register, saying it would "enable us to collectively record the damage caused by the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine" and create a basis for the reconstruction of the country.
Scholz also called for contact with Russia to be maintained in anticipation of the end of the war and the achievement of a just peace.
"Until then, we as the European Council should keep the bridges standing to the representatives of another Russia, another Belarus -- and in this way keep open the perspective of a democratic, peaceful future in both countries -- no matter how unlikely it seems to us today," Scholz said.