U.S. Court of Appeals Confirms Jurisdiction in Crimea Enforcement Proceedings
15 January 2026
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit confirmed jurisdiction to consider enforcement of an international arbitration award against Russia.
On 13 February 2026, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit affirmed that the court has jurisdiction to consider a petition to recognize and enforce an international arbitration award obtained by clients of Aksio Partners against the Russian Federation.
The case arises from the expropriation of a chain of petrol stations and related assets in Crimea following Russia’s 2014 occupation of the peninsula. The investors’ claims were brought under the 1998 Russia–Ukraine bilateral investment treaty, pursuant to which the arbitral tribunal awarded the investors more than US$34 million in damages.
In its decision, the Court of Appeals rejected Russia’s interlocutory challenge to U.S. jurisdiction. The Court emphasized that it was deciding only jurisdictional issues, and that it was not revisiting the merits of the arbitration award or deciding the sovereignty of Crimea.
Aksio Partners continues to support the investors in coordination with their legal counsel in this cross-border recovery process, as part of our broader advisory work for clients affected by the unlawful seizure of investments in Crimea.