Russia is threatening countries that join the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine. The Russian Foreign Ministry stated it will not recognize the tribunal, according to the BBC Russian Service.

Moscow has also warned third countries against joining the initiative.

“We will regard the accession of any state to the special tribunal as a hostile move — one that signals not a desire for resolution, but for escalation of the current crisis around Ukraine,” says Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova.

She also threatened such countries with “restrictive measures.”

Earlier, Euromaidan Press wrote that despite immunity for top leaders, the tribunal will be empowered to investigate and try other senior Russian and Belarusian officials, potentially even in absentia. Legal experts believe this still sends a strong message about international accountability.

Ukraine and Europe launch war tribunal — just not for Putin