Joe Biden has said Vladimir Putin clearly committed war crimes and that the international criminal court’s decision to issue an arrest warrant for the Russian leader makes a “very strong point”.
“Well, I think it’s justified,” the US president said on Friday of the warrant
But the question is – it’s not recognised internationally by us either. But I think it makes a very strong point.
The US is not a member of the international criminal court (ICC) and the Pentagon has resisted cooperating with it out of fears American soldiers could potentially be pursued by the court.
The ICC decision, over allegations Putin has overseen the abduction of Ukrainian children, marks the first time the court has issued a warrant against one of the five permanent members of the UN security council.
The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, hailed the court’s move, saying on social media it was “a historic decision from which historic responsibility will begin”.