Vladimir Putin is now targeted by an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes.
Vladimir Putin, who will receive Chinese President Xi Jinping next week in Moscow, is now the subject of an arrest warrant issued on Friday March 17 by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for the war crime of “illegal deportation” of children. Ukrainians during the Russian invasion, a decision hailed by Kiev and the West.
Franceinfo returns to the highlights of the day on the front of the war in Ukraine.
Vladimir Putin targeted by an arrest warrant for war crimes
The International Criminal Court (ICC) said on Friday it had issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin for his responsibility for the war crime of “illegal deportation” of Ukrainian children during the Russian invasion. The ICC, which sits in The Hague, has also issued an arrest warrant for Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia’s presidential commissioner for children’s rights, on similar charges.
ICC prosecutor Karim Khan told AFP that Vladimir Putin was now liable to arrest on the territory of one of the court’s 123 member states. The arrest warrants issued on Friday are “based on scientific evidence, careful scrutiny and what was said by these two peoplesaid Karim Khan. The evidence we presented focused on crimes against children. Children are the most vulnerable part of our society.”.
Russia rules ‘null and void’ ICC arrest warrant
Senior Russian officials rejected this arrest warrant, saying it had no legal value for Russia. “Russia, like a number of states, does not recognize the jurisdiction of this court, therefore, from the point of view of law, the decisions of this court are null and void”, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. Dmitry Peskov felt that the very idea of Vladimir Putin’s arrest was “scandalous and unacceptable”. Spokesperson for Russian diplomacy, Maria Zakharova, spoke of an ICC decision “meaningless”, “including from a legal point of view”.
Quoted by the Russian news agency Ria Novosti, Maria Lvova-Belova assured that she would continue her work despite the decision of the ICC.
Volodymyr Zelensky hails ‘historic’ ICC decision
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hailed a decision “historic, which marks the beginning of a historical responsibility”, the Kremlin judging for its part that the decision had no legal value. More than 16,000 Ukrainian children have been deported to Russia since the invasion on February 24, 2022, according to kyiv, and many have been placed in institutions and foster homes.
The head of European diplomacy Josep Borrell hailed “an important decision” and the United Kingdom welcomed “this step taken by the independent ICC to hold those at the top of the Russian regime, including Vladimir Putin, to account”.
Xi Jinping to visit Moscow early next week
On Friday, Moscow and Beijing also announced Xi Jinping’s visit to Russia from March 20 to 22. Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin will sign a joint statement to deepen their “strategic relationship entering a new era”, said Kremlin diplomatic adviser Yuri Ushakov. While Washington suspects China of considering arms deliveries to Russia, which Beijing and Moscow deny, the two leaders will also talk about cooperation “military-technical”again according to the Kremlin.
Quoted by Russian press agencies, Yuri Ouchakov also hailed the “detention” of Xi Jinping on the conflict in Ukraine, a file on which Beijing presents itself as a mediator despite its proximity to Moscow. Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang, in a telephone conversation with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kouleba, on Thursday urged Kyiv and Moscow to resume “as quickly as possible” peace talks, according to Beijing. A call for a ceasefire immediately sanctioned by the United States, according to which it amounts to consolidating Russian advances and giving the Kremlin a chance to prepare a new offensive.
MiG-29s will “help” Ukraine “effectively defend” its airspace
In Bratislava, Slovakia announced on Friday its decision to supply thirteen MiG-29 fighters to kyiv, after Poland announced the delivery to Ukraine of one “first batch” of four of these devices. These deliveries “will help us effectively defend our skies”Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said in a message of thanks to Slovakia posted on Twitter. “An aeronautical coalition is being formed!” Finally, on the eve of the expiry on Saturday of the international agreement on the export of cereals from Ukraine, the UN indicated that discussions on this subject are continuing.