The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an arrest warrant for Russia’s president over the invasion of Ukraine, but few in Moscow or beyond expect Vladimir Putin to be led away in handcuffs anytime soon.
The warrant issued on Friday relates to Putin’s alleged involvement in the deportation of thousands of children from Ukraine to Russia. Another was issued for Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova, Russia’s commissioner for children’s rights.
News of the warrants brought cheers from Ukraine and derision from Moscow. Russia is not among the 123 countries that have signed on to the ICC, making such warrants “null and void” within its borders, said Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry
