Arrest warrant issued for Russian President Vladimir Putin over alleged war crimes in Ukraine
17 March 2023, 15:23 | Updated: 17 March 2023, 16:02
The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin over alleged war crimes carried out in Ukraine.
The ICC said the Russian president "is 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".
An arrest warrant has also been issued for Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova, the Presidential Commissioner for Children's Rights in Russia.
The court claims the war crimes have taken place in Ukrainian occupied territory from February 24, 2022, the day of Russia's invasion.
It said there are "reasonable grounds" to believe that both Putin and Lvova-Belova bear responsibility for the "unlawful deportation of population" from Ukraine to Russia.
Foreign affairs analyst Tim Marshall told LBC's Shelagh Fogarty that Putin would first need to be removed from power and find himself in another country for the ICC to have the power to try the Russian president in The Hague.
Foreign affairs analyst Tim Marshall on ICC arrest warrant for Putin
Mr Marshall said that ICC's decision to issue an arrest warrant for Putin is "for the moment, symbolic".
"I’m not being sceptical - it is unlikely he would ever be brought to court," he said.
"There would have to be regime change in Russia in the first place, or at least he would have to be no longer in power - and this is the crucial bit - be outside of Russia.
"Russia doesn’t recognise the authority of The Hague…Even if Putin is deposed, another leader comes to power and arrests him for YXZ...because Russia doesn't accept the ICC, it wouldn't then transfer him to The Hague".
Moscow denies allegations of war crimes.
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It comes amid rising tensions between Russia and Western nations after a Russian fighter jet struck the propeller of a US surveillance drone over the Black Sea.
American officials were forced to bring down the unmanned aerial vehicle in international waters, the US military said on Tuesday.
The US military released 42-second video released on Thursday shows a Russian Su-27 approaching the back of the MQ-9 drone and beginning to release fuel as it passes, the Pentagon said.
The White House said the downing of an American drone was "unsafe and unprofessional", but Moscow immediately denied involvement.
In a statement after the crash, the Russian Defense Ministry denied colliding with the American drone, suggesting the US aircraft went into "uncontrolled flight" due to "sharp manoeuvring".
Russian fighter pilots involved in the incident will be given state awards, the defence ministry has since announced.
The move appears to signal Moscow's intention to adopt a more aggressive stance toward future US surveillance flights.
Footage shows moment Russian Su-27 performs unsafe intercept of US Air Force drone
Poland's president Andrzej Duda said his country would send Ukraine four of the Soviet-made warplanes "within the next few days", but said the rest will need servicing first.
"They are in the last years of their functioning but they are in good working condition," Mr Duda said.
Slovakia also said it would provide Ukraine with the same jets, but Russia has threatened to destroy any planes that are sent to Ukraine. .
