{"id":6760,"date":"2023-05-04T11:03:00","date_gmt":"2023-05-04T10:03:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/londonpost.news\/?p=6760"},"modified":"2023-05-04T11:08:50","modified_gmt":"2023-05-04T10:08:50","slug":"zelensky-to-visit-international-criminal-court","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/analysis\/defense\/zelensky-to-visit-international-criminal-court\/2023\/05\/04\/admin1\/","title":{"rendered":"Zelensky to visit International Criminal Court"},"content":{"rendered":"

THE<\/span> HAGUE<\/span>\u00a0(AP)<\/span> –\u00a0Ukrainian<\/span> President<\/span> Volodymyr<\/span> Zelensky<\/span> visited<\/span> the<\/span> Netherlands<\/span> on<\/span> Thursday<\/span> for<\/span> a<\/span> surprise<\/span> visit<\/span> to<\/span> the<\/span> city,<\/span> which<\/span> is<\/span> home<\/span> to<\/span> the<\/span> International<\/span> Criminal<\/span> Court<\/span> that<\/span> issued<\/span> an<\/span> arrest<\/span> warrant<\/span> for<\/span> Russian<\/span> President<\/span> Vladimir<\/span> Putin.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Zelensky’s<\/span> visit<\/span> to<\/span> The<\/span> Hague,<\/span> home<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> ICC<\/span> and<\/span> the<\/span> UN’s<\/span> supreme<\/span> judicial<\/span> body,<\/span> the<\/span> International<\/span> Court<\/span> of<\/span> Justice,<\/span> comes<\/span> a<\/span> day<\/span> after<\/span> he<\/span> denied<\/span> Ukrainian<\/span> forces<\/span> were<\/span> responsible<\/span> for<\/span> the<\/span> Kremlin’s<\/span> attempt<\/span> to<\/span> target<\/span> and<\/span> assassinate<\/span> Putin.<\/span> It<\/span> was<\/span> conducted.<\/span> by<\/span> drone<\/span> attack.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Speaking<\/span> to<\/span> reporters<\/span> during<\/span> a<\/span> visit<\/span> to<\/span> Helsinki<\/span> on<\/span> Wednesday,<\/span> Zelensky<\/span> said:<\/span>
\n<\/span>“We<\/span> didn’t<\/span> attack<\/span> Putin.<\/span> Leave<\/span> it<\/span> to<\/span> the<\/span> court.”<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Although<\/span> Zelensky’s<\/span> visit<\/span> to<\/span> the<\/span> ICC<\/span> has<\/span> not<\/span> been<\/span> officially<\/span> confirmed,<\/span> court<\/span> officials<\/span> hoisted<\/span> the<\/span> Ukrainian<\/span> flag<\/span> alongside<\/span> their<\/span> own<\/span> in<\/span> front<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> building<\/span> on<\/span> Thursday.<\/span> The<\/span> Ukrainian<\/span> Air<\/span> Force<\/span> Command<\/span> said<\/span> early<\/span> Thursday<\/span> morning<\/span> that<\/span> Russian<\/span> forces<\/span> used<\/span> Iranian-made<\/span> drones<\/span> to<\/span> strike<\/span> overnight<\/span> in<\/span> several<\/span> areas<\/span> of<\/span> Ukraine.<\/span> Air<\/span> raid<\/span> sirens<\/span> blared<\/span> through<\/span> the<\/span> night<\/span> in<\/span> Ukraine,<\/span> with<\/span> explosions<\/span> reported<\/span> from<\/span> the<\/span> southern<\/span> city<\/span> of<\/span> Odessa<\/span> and<\/span> capital<\/span> .<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>The<\/span> Ukrainian<\/span> military<\/span> said<\/span> three<\/span> drones<\/span> labeled<\/span> “for<\/span> Moscow”<\/span> and<\/span> “for<\/span> the<\/span> Kremlin”<\/span> hit<\/span> a<\/span> dormitory<\/span> at<\/span> an<\/span> educational<\/span> facility<\/span> in<\/span> Odessa,<\/span> citing<\/span> a<\/span> suspected<\/span> Ukrainian<\/span> attack<\/span> on<\/span> Wednesday.<\/span> However,<\/span> the<\/span> fire<\/span> was<\/span> quickly<\/span> extinguished<\/span> and<\/span> no<\/span> one<\/span> was<\/span> injured.Kiev<\/span> has<\/span> been<\/span> hit<\/span> by<\/span> drones<\/span> and<\/span> rockets,<\/span> according<\/span> to<\/span> the<\/span> military<\/span> government,<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> third<\/span> air<\/span> raid<\/span> on<\/span> the<\/span> capital<\/span> in<\/span> four<\/span> days.<\/span><\/p>\n

Against<\/span> this<\/span> backdrop<\/span> of<\/span> violence,<\/span> Zelensky<\/span> visits<\/span> The<\/span> Hague,<\/span> which<\/span> calls<\/span> itself<\/span> an<\/span> international<\/span> city<\/span> of<\/span> peace<\/span> and<\/span> justice.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>In<\/span> its<\/span> March<\/span> 18<\/span> statement,<\/span> the<\/span> ICC<\/span> said<\/span> Putin<\/span> was<\/span> “responsible<\/span> for<\/span> the<\/span> war<\/span> crimes<\/span> of<\/span> illegal<\/span> deportation<\/span> (of<\/span> children)<\/span> and<\/span> illegal<\/span> transfer<\/span> of<\/span> (children)<\/span> from<\/span> occupied<\/span> territories<\/span> of<\/span> Ukraine<\/span> to<\/span> the<\/span> Russian<\/span> Federation.”<\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span>But<\/span> Putin<\/span> is<\/span> unlikely<\/span> to<\/span> be<\/span> sent<\/span> to<\/span> The<\/span> Hague.<\/span> The<\/span> court<\/span> has<\/span> no<\/span> police<\/span> force<\/span> to<\/span> enforce<\/span> an<\/span> arrest<\/span> warrant,<\/span> and<\/span> the<\/span> Russian<\/span> president<\/span> is<\/span> unlikely<\/span> to<\/span> go<\/span> to<\/span> the<\/span> ICC’s<\/span> 123<\/span> member<\/span> states,<\/span> so<\/span> he<\/span> needs<\/span> to<\/span> be<\/span> arrested.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>ICC<\/span> Prosecutor<\/span> Karim<\/span> Khan<\/span> has<\/span> made<\/span> repeated<\/span> visits<\/span> to<\/span> Ukraine<\/span> and<\/span> has<\/span> set<\/span> up<\/span> his<\/span> office<\/span> in<\/span> Kiev<\/span> to<\/span> facilitate<\/span> ongoing<\/span> investigations<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> country.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>But<\/span> the<\/span> ICC<\/span> does<\/span> not<\/span> have<\/span> the<\/span> jurisdiction<\/span> to<\/span> indict<\/span> Putin<\/span> for<\/span> aggression.<\/span> The<\/span> Dutch<\/span> government<\/span> has<\/span> offered<\/span> to<\/span> host<\/span> a<\/span> court<\/span> that<\/span> may<\/span> be<\/span> set<\/span> up<\/span> to<\/span> try<\/span> the<\/span> crime<\/span> of<\/span> aggression,<\/span> and<\/span> an<\/span> office<\/span> will<\/span> be<\/span> set<\/span> up<\/span> to<\/span> collect<\/span> evidence.<\/span> Eurojust,<\/span> the<\/span> European<\/span> Union’s<\/span> legal<\/span> cooperation<\/span> agency,<\/span> announced<\/span> in<\/span> February<\/span> that<\/span> a<\/span> new<\/span> international<\/span> center<\/span> for<\/span> the<\/span> prosecution<\/span> of<\/span> crimes<\/span> of<\/span> aggression<\/span> would<\/span> be<\/span> operational<\/span> by<\/span> the<\/span> summer.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>President<\/span> Zelensky’s<\/span> visit<\/span> to<\/span> The<\/span> Hague<\/span> comes<\/span> as<\/span> Russia’s<\/span> claims<\/span> that<\/span> it<\/span> thwarted<\/span> an<\/span> attack<\/span> on<\/span> the<\/span> Kremlin<\/span> by<\/span> Ukrainian<\/span> drones<\/span> early<\/span> Wednesday<\/span> morning<\/span> continue<\/span> to<\/span> be<\/span> called<\/span> into<\/span> question.<\/span> The<\/span> Russian<\/span> government<\/span> branded<\/span> it<\/span> an<\/span> attempted<\/span> assassination<\/span> of<\/span> President<\/span> Putin<\/span> and<\/span> promised<\/span> reprisals<\/span> for<\/span> what<\/span> it<\/span> called<\/span> “terrorist”<\/span> acts.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>There<\/span> were<\/span> no<\/span> immediate<\/span> reports<\/span> of<\/span> airstrikes<\/span> on<\/span> the<\/span> Ukrainian<\/span> capital,<\/span> although<\/span> air<\/span> raid<\/span> sirens<\/span> rang<\/span> out<\/span> in<\/span> Kiev<\/span> through<\/span> the<\/span> night.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Putin<\/span> was<\/span> not<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> Kremlin<\/span> at<\/span> the<\/span> time,<\/span> but<\/span> was<\/span> at<\/span> his<\/span> residence<\/span> in<\/span> Novo-Ogaryovo,<\/span> a<\/span> Moscow<\/span> suburb,<\/span> his<\/span> spokesman<\/span> Dmitry<\/span> Peskov<\/span> told<\/span> Russia’s<\/span> state-run<\/span> news<\/span> agency<\/span> RIA<\/span> Novosti.<\/span> Russian<\/span> officials<\/span> claim<\/span> the<\/span> attack<\/span> took<\/span> place<\/span> overnight,<\/span> but<\/span> have<\/span> provided<\/span> no<\/span> evidence<\/span> to<\/span> support<\/span> it.<\/span> Questions<\/span> also<\/span> surfaced<\/span> as<\/span> to<\/span> why<\/span> it<\/span> took<\/span> the<\/span> Kremlin<\/span> hours<\/span> to<\/span> report<\/span> the<\/span> incident<\/span> and<\/span> why<\/span> the<\/span> video<\/span> was<\/span> released<\/span> later<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> day.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>White<\/span> House<\/span> spokeswoman<\/span> Karine<\/span> Jean-Pierre<\/span> said<\/span> the<\/span> United<\/span> States<\/span> “has<\/span> not<\/span> been<\/span> able<\/span> to<\/span> verify<\/span> the<\/span> credibility”<\/span> of<\/span> Russia’s<\/span> claims<\/span> about<\/span> Ukraine’s<\/span> attack<\/span> on<\/span> Moscow.<\/span> Asked<\/span> whether<\/span> the<\/span> United<\/span> States<\/span> believed<\/span> Putin<\/span> was<\/span> a<\/span> possible<\/span> legitimate<\/span> target<\/span> for<\/span> a<\/span> Ukrainian<\/span> attack,<\/span> Jean-Pierre<\/span> said<\/span> that<\/span> since<\/span> the<\/span> conflict<\/span> began,<\/span> the<\/span> United<\/span> States<\/span> had<\/span> “not<\/span> allowed<\/span> Ukraine<\/span> to<\/span> strike<\/span> across<\/span> its<\/span> borders.”<\/span> We<\/span> didn’t<\/span> encourage<\/span> or<\/span> allow<\/span> it,”<\/span> he<\/span> said.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

THE HAGUE\u00a0(AP) –\u00a0Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited the Netherlands on Thursday for a surprise visit to the city, which is home to the International Criminal Court that issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin. Zelensky’s visit to The Hague, home of the ICC and the UN’s supreme judicial body, the International Court of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6762,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":""},"categories":[26,276,2480,2482],"tags":[1760,4426,1764,4587,1765,4588,2586,4589,2587,4590,2589,4591,2725,2954,2955,3277,4385,4387,4388,1225,4389,1314,4391,1378,4395],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/zlnsky.webp","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6760"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6760"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6760\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6763,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6760\/revisions\/6763"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6762"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6760"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6760"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6760"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}