The White Home says it “stays to be seen” whether or not Russian President Vladimir Putin will ultimately face justice for alleged conflict crimes after the Worldwide Legal Court docket issued a warrant for his arrest Friday, however the US will proceed to assist Ukraine doc Moscow’s misdeeds.
“We’re going to remain dedicated to serving to Ukraine as they doc and analyze and protect the sorts of proof of the conflict crimes, the atrocities, the crimes towards humanity which have occurred inside Ukraine by the hands of Russian forces,” Nationwide Safety Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby instructed CNN’s Jake Tapper on Friday.
America does not recognize the ICC, however Kirby stated the US is “not going to again off our perception that accountability for these conflict crimes has acquired available, nonetheless lengthy that takes.”
Kirby stated the US needs to see “any perpetrators of conflict crimes held to account,” however he declined to say if US President Joe Biden would inform regulation enforcement to arrest Putin if he got here to the US. He stated it was “very, most unlikely” the Russian chief would journey to the USA.
Requested if the US would ask different nations like Israel or India – who additionally don’t acknowledge the ICC – to arrest the Russian chief, Kirby stated it could “need to be sovereign selections these leaders make.”
Keep in mind: Russia also does not recognize the ICC, and the courtroom does not conduct trials in absentia, so Putin would both need to be turned over by Moscow or arrested in another country for him to face expenses from the courtroom.
Moscow’s ties to Beijing: Tapper additionally requested Kirby if there was any intelligence indicating China has determined to give Russia weapons to assist with the nation’s assault on Ukraine.
“We do not consider that they’ve taken it off the desk nonetheless, however we additionally do not see any indication, any affirmation, that they are transferring in that path or that … they’ve despatched deadly weapons,” Kirby stated.
“We do not suppose it is of their curiosity. It should not be in anyone’s curiosity, fairly frankly, to assist Mr. Putin proceed to slaughter harmless Ukrainians,” he added.
Chinese language chief Xi Jinping will fly to Moscow next week to fulfill with Putin in his first go to to Russia since Putin launched his devastating invasion of Ukraine greater than a yr in the past.
The go to will likely be seen as a strong present of Beijing’s help for Moscow in Western capitals, the place leaders have grown more and more cautious of the 2 nations’ deepening partnership as conflict rages in Europe.
CNN’s Nectar Gan and Anna Chernova contributed to this report.
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