Tensions are escalating.
Antony Blinken, President Biden’s Secretary of State, urged European countries who are members of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to fulfill their duty of arresting Russian President Vladimir Putin and handing him over to the court if he visits their nation. He made this statement on Wednesday.
According to Fox, during a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing, Senator Lindsey Graham from South Carolina questioned Antony Blinken on the International Criminal Court’s warrant of arrest for Putin, and whether the United States should apprehend him in the event of his visit. It was during this questioning that Blinken made the aforementioned statement.
“There’s an arrest warrant for Putin by the ICC for kidnapping children in Ukraine and taking them to Russia, is that pretty much it?” Graham asked.
Blinken simply responded, “Yup.”
“If Putin came to the United States for whatever reason, would we turn him over to the ICC?” Graham then asked.
Blinken responded, “Well, I can’t get ahead of that because I’d have to look at the laws. As you know, we are not actually a party to the ICC, so I don’t want to engage in that hypothetical.”
Graham then asked, “I would encourage you to, if he came here, to turn him over. Would you encourage our European allies to turn him over?”
“I think that anyone who is a party to the court and has obligations should fulfill their obligations,” Blinken replied.
On Friday, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Putin, accusing him of being involved in the kidnapping of Ukrainian children.
The United States and Russia are not members of the International Criminal Court (ICC), and do not support or recognize the court’s jurisdiction however in this case the U.S. appears to.