International court issues war crimes warrant for Putin

Putin
Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting on the social and economic development of Crimea and Sevastopol via a videoconference at the Moscow's Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Friday, March 17, 2023. (Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

By MIKE CORDER and RAF CASERT

Associated Press

The International Criminal Court says it has issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin for war crimes, accusing him of personal responsibility for the abductions of children from Ukraine.

It was the first time the global court has issued a warrant against one of the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council.

The warrant Friday also was for the arrest of Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova, the Commissioner for Children’s Rights in Putin’s office, on similar allegations.

A possible trial of any Russians at the ICC remains a long way off. Moscow does not recognize the court’s jurisdiction or extradite its nationals.