There are “reasonable reasons” for assuming that Putin is “personally responsible” for the “unlawful deportation” of Ukrainian children to Russian territory, which is classified as a war crime, the Criminal Court said. The crimes began in the Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine “at least from February 24, 2022”, the beginning of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. ICC President Piotr Hofmanski stressed that the application of the arrest warrants depended on “international cooperation”.
According to the Ukrainian government, as of February this year, more than 16,000 children have been kidnapped from Ukraine to Russia or Russian-controlled areas. The ICC had already started investigations immediately after the beginning of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine.
Advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Mikhailo Podoliak said the Hague decision was “a clear signal to the (Russian) elites what will happen to them and why it won’t be ‘like it used to be'”. Zelenskyy’s chief of staff Andriy Yermak said the step was “just the beginning”.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba also welcomed the decision. “International criminals will be held accountable for child theft and other international crimes.”
Ukrainian Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin said in online media: “The world has received a signal that the Russian regime is criminal and that its leadership and henchmen will be held accountable.” This is “a historic decision for Ukraine and the entire system of international law”.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell also welcomed the arrest warrant, saying it was the “beginning of an accountability process”.
Federal Minister of Justice Marco Buschmann (FDP) wrote on Twitter that the arrest warrant issued against Putin for war crimes was “an important signal of determination”. British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly also welcomed the move on Twitter.
Moscow, on the other hand, described the arrest warrant as “void” and “meaningless”. “Russia, like a number of other countries, does not recognize the jurisdiction of this court, therefore the decisions of this court are void from a legal point of view,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
Russia’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in the online service Telegram: “The decisions of the International Criminal Court are meaningless for our country, also from a legal point of view.” Moscow will “not cooperate with the court”. Russia is “not a contractual partner” of the ICC and has “no obligations” towards it.
According to the Russian state news agency RIA Novosti, the children’s rights commissioner Lwova-Belowa said: “There were sanctions against me from all countries, even Japan, and now an arrest warrant (…)”. She emphasized: “But we will continue our work.”
Ex-Russian President Dmitry Medvedev wrote on Twitter: “The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin. There is no need to explain where this paper is to be used,” he wrote in English next to a toilet paper emoticon.
