Russian Foreign Ministry considers the decision "insignificant" and "legally invalid"

ICC issues arrest warrant for President Vladimir Putin

The International Criminal Court (ICC) announced Friday the issuance of an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin for responsibility for war crimes committed in Ukraine since the beginning of the war in Ukraine in February 2022.

"Today, March 17, 2023, Pre-Trial Chamber II of the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for two individuals in connection with the situation in Ukraine: Mr. Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin and Ms. Maria Alekseeevna Lvova-Belova," the Presidential Commissioner for the Rights of the Child of Russia.

The court added in its statement that Putin "is presumed responsible for the war crime of unlawful deportation of (children) residents and illegal transfer of (children) residents from the occupied territories of Ukraine to the Russian Federation."

"It is assumed that the crimes were committed in the occupied Ukrainian territory at least as of February 24," it said, adding that there were "reasonable grounds to believe that Mr. Putin is personally responsible for the above crimes."

On Monday, the New York Times reported that the International Criminal Court is preparing to open two cases involving Russian officials over the Ukraine war, the transfer of children from Ukraine to Russia and the deliberate bombing of civilian facilities in Ukraine.

ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan has previously said: "We have confirmed (together with the Ukrainian prosecutor) our shared concern that such acts will be fully investigated and that those responsible for international crimes will be held accountable."

The International Criminal Court, set up in 2002 to try the world's worst crimes, has been investigating possible war crimes or crimes against humanity committed during the war in Ukraine for more than a year.

Neither Russia nor Ukraine are members of the ICC, but Kiev has accepted the court's work on its territory and is working with the prosecutor.

Russia denies accusations of war crimes. Experts said it was unlikely that he had extradited any suspects.

On the other hand, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stressed that the decision of the International Criminal Court to issue an arrest warrant against President Putin does not make sense for Russia.

Zakharova wrote on her Telegram account: "ICC decisions are meaningless for our country, including from a legal point of view."

"Russia is not a party to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, nor does it assume any obligations under it. Russia does not cooperate with this body, and possible arrest warrants issued by the International Court of Justice will be legally invalid for us.