As the Russian president heads to US soil for a high-stakes summit, one question looms on social media: Could he theoretically be arrested upon arrival?
As Russian President Vladimir Putin prepares to meet President Donald Trump in Alaska for a high-stakes summit on the war in Ukraine on Friday, one question is ricocheting across social media: Could the Russian leader, who is under indictment at The Hague, theoretically be arrested the moment he sets foot on U.S. soil?
Putin’s arrival in Alaska on August 15 will mark his first visit to the United States in a decade and his first non-UN visit since 2007. The summit is expected to place Friday at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson outside Anchorage starting about 11:30 a.m. local time.
Putin’s visit has sparked a wave of calls for his arrest. Social media users and experts alike have urged the U.S. to act, but under both international and domestic law, it has no obligation to enforce an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant against the Russian leader.What Has the ICC Accused Vladimir Putin of Doing?
On March 17, 2023, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia’s commissioner for children’s rights. The court alleges they are responsible for the unlawful deportation and transfer of children from occupied areas of Ukraine to Russia—acts defined as war crimes under international law.
The charges claim Putin either directly ordered the deportations or failed to prevent them as Lvova-Belova’s superior.
