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- US President Joe Biden said a global arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin was “justified.”
- The warrant was issued by the International Criminal Court, which the US and Russia do not acknowledge.
- Neither nation has signed onto the Rome Statute, limiting the Hague’s jurisdiction over the international locations.
US President Joe Biden counseled the International Criminal Court’s choice to concern a global arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin on Friday.
On Friday, the ICC released a report accusing the Russian president of “war crimes,” declaring him a global pariah by issuing an arrest warrant against him. The information was roundly welcomed globally, even by international locations that do not acknowledge the courtroom — together with the US.
“I think it’s justified, but the question is it’s not recognized internationally by us either. But I think it makes a very strong point,” Biden said, in response to CNN.
In the ICC’s report, officers said Putin was “allegedly responsible for the war crime of unlawful deportation of population (children) and that of unlawful transfer of population (children) from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation.”
The report largely revolved round allegations the UN has also put forth, claiming that Russia dedicated battle crimes by forcefully deporting and transferring kids from Ukraine to Russia.
Russia doesn’t acknowledge the ICC, and the US’s relationship with the courtroom has been fraught, in response to Human Rights Watch. Ukraine doesn’t absolutely acknowledge the courtroom, though it permits The Hague to research alleged crimes against humanity dedicated in its territory.
Several US administrations have rejected to sign the Rome Statute which binds nations to the ICC’s jurisdiction, which means that the majority US nationals accused of battle crimes in locations like Afghanistan cannot be prosecuted by the courtroom, though the US cooperates with the courtroom in restricted capacities, in response to HRW.
In response to the ICC’s declaration on Friday, a State Department spokesperson told Insider “there is no doubt that Russia is committing war crimes and atrocities in Ukraine, and we have been clear that those responsible must be held accountable.”
“The ICC Prosecutor is an independent actor and makes his own prosecutorial decisions based on the evidence before him. We support accountability for perpetrators of war crimes,” the spokesperson added.
Ukrainian officers praised the choice. The Kremlin called the choice “outrageous,” and “legally void,” the Associated Press reported.
