Biden says ICC warrant for Putin 'justified'

WASHINGTON - US President Joe Biden said the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court for Russian President Vladimir Putin is justified.

"I think it's justified," Biden said on Friday as quoted in a pool report.

Biden also noted that although the ICC is not recognised by the United States, the organisation makes a good argument for the warrant, reported Sputnik On Friday, the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Putin as well as Russia’s Children’s Rights Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova on the grounds of alleged "unlawful deportation" of Ukrainian children to Russia. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has repeatedly stated that Russia is not a party to the ICC and its jurisdiction is not recognised by Moscow so any of its decisions against the country are null from the legal point of view.

Meanwhile, Russia considers any warrants by the International Criminal Court illegitimate as it does not have any jurisdiction over Russia, Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia said during the UN Security Council session on Friday.

"This is a prejudiced politically biased non-competent international body which has once again demonstrated how damaging and invalid it is. The ICC is a puppet in the hands of the collective West which is always willing to carry out pseudo jurisdiction based on their orders, ” Nebenzia said. "The Russian Federation is not a party to the Rome Statute. The ICC lacks jurisdiction vis-à-vis the Russian Federation, its citizens. We consider any warrants from this body as illegitimate and invalid.” Nebenzia also underscored that today’s move was particularly cynical as the warrants were announced on the eve of the Iraq invasion where the ICC had the jurisdiction but did absolutely nothing to bring the perpetrators to account.

"All indicators ICC has really taken a path towards self-liquidation first and foremost with respect to its authority and international recognition,” he added. - BERNAMA-SPUTNIK