The International Criminal Court on Friday issued an arrest warrant against the Russian president because The international institution is not, however, officially recognized by the United States.
The arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court against Vladimir Putin for war crimes is “justified”, Joe Biden said on Friday.
The US president, speaking to reporters at the White House, recalled that the institution was not recognized by the United States, but felt that his decision nevertheless sent “a very strong signal”.
The arrest warrant for the Russian head of state was issued for the war crime of “illegal deportation” of Ukrainian children during the Russian invasion.
The ICC also issued an arrest warrant on Friday against Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia’s presidential commissioner for children’s rights, on similar charges.
Washington has “no doubt” that Moscow is committing “war crimes” in Ukraine
The United States has “no doubt that Russia is committing war crimes and atrocities in Ukraine, and we have been clear that those responsible will be held to account”, had already reacted a little earlier Washington via a State Department spokesperson, while emphasizing that the ICC acts “independently”.
The decision was hailed on Friday by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky who saw it as a “historic decision, which marks the beginning of a historic responsibility”.
Moscow, for its part, ruled that this arrest warrant had no legal value. “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,” the spokesperson said. of Russian President Dmitry Peskov.
An “important moment in the justice process”
ICC President Piotr Hofmanski said the issuance of the two arrest warrants is an “important moment in the justice process” for the court.
The warrants, issued following a request by ICC prosecutor Karim Khan, relate to ‘alleged war crimes of the deportation of children from occupied Ukrainian territories to the Russian Federation’ since the start of the invasion , he specified.
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.
