Russia's illegitimate president, Vladimir Putin, has flown to Kazakhstan on a business trip, despite an International Criminal Court warrant ordering the country to arrest him.
Points of attention
- Putin's participation in the summit involves meetings with the leaders of various countries, including the president of the People's Republic of China, the president of Turkey and the acting president of Iran.
- An arrest warrant has been issued against Putin and his authorized representative, Maria Lvova-Belova, on suspicion of war crimes against Ukrainian children.
- Official suspects can only be arrested in countries that have ratified the Rome Statute, limiting their ability to visit most countries.
- After issuing the warrant, Putin traveled only to countries that did not ratify the statute, avoiding the possibility of arrest.
What is known about Putin's visit to Kazakhstan
As noted, the Russian dictator of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, will attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Astana. He is scheduled to meet with the President of the People's Republic of China, Xi Jinping, the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and the Acting President of Iran, Mohammad Mohbar.
The leaders of Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Mongolia, Qatar and the UAE will also be present at the summit. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres may also arrive in Astana.
The main program of the SCO summit will be held on July 4.
Arrest of Putin
On March 17, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, and the Commissioner for Children's Rights, Maria Lvova-Belova. They are suspected of illegally deporting Ukrainian children from the occupied territories of Ukraine to the Russian Federation, which is a war crime.
Putin and Lvova-Belova, as official suspects, should be arrested in countries that have ratified the Rome Statute. That is, visits to 123 countries are closed for them.
After issuing the warrant, Putin travelled only to Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, China and North Korea. These countries have not ratified the statute.
