The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant on Friday for Russian President Vladimir Putin, accusing him of being responsible for war crimes committed in Ukraine. Moscow has downplayed the move, stating that the warrant is "meaningless." The ICC called for Putin's arrest in its first warrant regarding Ukraine, suspecting him of involvement in the illegal deportation of children and the unlawful transfer of people from Ukrainian territories to Russia. Another arrest warrant was issued for Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia's Commissioner for Children's Rights, on the same charges.
Following the issuance of the arrest warrant, ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan remarked that this is a "concrete first step" and that further investigations regarding Ukraine are ongoing. He explained that his office has identified hundreds of Ukrainian children transferred from orphanages and childcare homes to Russia. Khan added, "Many of these children, according to our allegations, have been put up for adoption in the Russian Federation."
**Moscow's Response**
Russia responded to the measures, asserting that the ICC's arrest warrant against Putin is meaningless. Dmitry Peskov, the spokesperson for the Russian president, stated that "Russia does not recognize the jurisdiction of the ICC," pointing out that "the questions raised by the ICC are outrageous and unacceptable to us," and emphasized that any court decisions are "null and void" concerning Russia. When asked if Putin now fears traveling to countries that recognize the jurisdiction of the ICC, Peskov replied, "I have nothing to add on this matter. This is all we want to say."
Maria Zakharova, the spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, stated on her Telegram account that "the ICC's decisions are meaningless for our country, even legally." She added, "Russia is not a party to the Rome Statute of the ICC and has no obligations under it." Moscow has persistently denied allegations that its forces have committed atrocities during the ongoing invasion of its neighbor.
**Reactions**
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky praised the ICC's decision, calling it historic, insisting that "Putin certainly approved the deportation of children." Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba wrote on Twitter, "The wheel of justice is turning: I commend the ICC's decision to issue arrest warrants for Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova regarding the forced transfer of Ukrainian children."
Ukrainian Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin described the decision as "historic for Ukraine and the whole international legal system." Kostin stated on Telegram, "Today's decision is a historic step. However, it is just the beginning of a long road to restoring justice."
Andriy Yermak, head of the presidential office, mentioned that the issuance of the warrant is "just the beginning." He explained that Ukraine has been closely cooperating with the ICC and is currently investigating over 16,000 cases of the forced deportation of children to Russia, successfully returning 308 children so far.
The French government asserted that "no one should escape justice," with the French Foreign Ministry stating on Twitter, "No one responsible for the crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine should be allowed to evade justice, regardless of their positions." The Polish government spokesperson indicated that Vladimir Putin should be tried as a war criminal alongside all those responsible for atrocities in Ukraine. The Polish state news agency quoted spokesperson Piotr Muller saying, "This is an important decision from the court and highlights the war crimes committed by the Russian violence machine." Muller added, "Vladimir Putin leads this machine and should be tried as a war criminal alongside those who carry out brutal acts of war, whether directly or indirectly."
Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky welcomed the ICC's decision, deeming it correct to issue an arrest warrant against Putin due to his crimes against Ukraine. Lipavsky tweeted today, "There is no doubt that Putin is responsible for war crimes and should be tried for the crime of aggression. I welcome the ICC's decision."
A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department stated that there is no doubt that Russia is committing war crimes in Ukraine, following the ICC's issuance of an arrest warrant for President Putin. In an email, the spokesperson noted that Washington has independently concluded that Russian forces have committed war crimes in Ukraine but emphasized that the ICC prosecutor is an independent authority making his own decisions.