Russia Not Subject to International Criminal Court’s Jurisdiction

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a nightly speech that “the situation is very difficult in the east”, especially in Bakhmut, and stressed that the future of his country depends on the outcome of the ongoing fighting there. In this regard, the International Criminal Court is seeking arrest warrants for Russian officials on charges of forcibly deporting children from Ukraine, attacks on civilian infrastructure and committing the crime of genocide. As Russia intensifies its campaign to take control of Bakhmut, Zelenskiy said his country’s future hinges on the outcome of the ongoing fighting in the east, especially fighting in and around Bakhmut, while each side speaks of fierce fighting in the small eastern town. The ruined city of Bakhmut became the main target of the Russian invasion, and months of fighting for its control turned into the bloodiest infantry battle in Europe since the Second World War. Zelenskiy said: “The situation in the east is very difficult.. very painful. We must destroy the military power of the enemy, and we will destroy it.” Zelenskiy has been delivering his speeches at night since the start of the Russian invasion more than a year ago. On the other hand, the source said the International Criminal Court is expected to seek arrest warrants for Russian officials for forcibly deporting children from Ukraine as well as attacks on civilian infrastructure, the first international war crimes case related to the Russian invasion. . The source added that it is not yet clear the identity of the Russian officials against whom the prosecutor’s office may be seeking arrest warrants, or the possible date for such warrants, but they would include the crime of genocide. The prosecutor’s office of the International Criminal Court declined to comment. Ukraine and its Western allies say Russia has committed “crimes against humanity” by targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure. Russia denies the allegations. Moscow would certainly reject arrest warrants for its officials, but an international war crimes trial will increase Moscow’s diplomatic isolation over a campaign that has killed thousands of civilians and forced millions from their homes. The Russian Defense Ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Konstantin Kosachev, vice speaker of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation, said that the ICC has no power over Russia, since it withdrew its support in 2016. “The ICC is an instrument of neo-colonialism in the hands of the West,” he said. Russia has denied previous accusations of forcibly evicting Ukrainians. But she has made no secret of a program in which she has taken thousands of children to Russia as part of what she portrays as a humanitarian campaign to protect orphans and abandoned children in the conflict zone. Ukraine claims that thousands of deported Ukrainian children are adopted by Russian families and live in camps and orphanages, are given Russian passports and raised to renounce Ukrainian citizenship. The UN Charter on Genocide defines “the forcible transfer of children from one group to another” as one of five acts that can be prosecuted as genocide. But Russia appears to be on the cusp of a long-awaited diplomatic breakthrough, with sources telling Reuters that Chinese President Xi Jinping may visit Russia next week. The Chinese Foreign Ministry did not respond to requests for comment. The Kremlin said it had nothing to announce. On the battlefield, Ukrainian soldiers said on Monday they were repelling attacks near Kremnya, north of Bakhmut. And in the forest, about eight kilometers from the front, the sounds of cannons were heard, firing at enemy positions in a northeasterly direction. In the distance, explosions were continuously heard, which indicated the presence of fierce fighting. Reuters correspondents saw a soldier being taken away from the front with a severe leg injury. He was treated in a van with a splint and painkillers and then transferred to a medical center far from the front. “Two or three weeks ago the fighting was in full swing, but it has calmed down a bit,” paramedic Mikhail Anst, 35, said before treating a wounded soldier. There is heavy artillery and mortar fire.” The trench war, which both sides call a meat grinder, has led to a huge number of casualties in Bakhmut, Donetsk region, with both sides claiming the deaths of hundreds of enemy troops. Russia says that the capture of Bakhmut will open the way to control over the entire Donetsk region, which is the main goal of the war. Ukraine, determined not to retreat and defend Bakhmut, claims that the current exhaustion of the Russian army will make it easier to counterattack later this year. But there is no consensus among military analysts that defending Bakhmut is the best strategy for Ukraine. “So far we have information that Ukraine is sending Western-trained reservists to Bakhmut,” Ukrainian military observer Oleg Zhadanov said in an interview. And we are suffering losses among the reserve forces, which we intend to use in counterattacks. “We could lose everything here that we wanted to use in these counterattacks,” he added. Ukrainian military historian Roman Ponomarenko said the danger of the city being encircled was “very real”. “If we just abandon Bakhmut and withdraw our forces and equipment, nothing terrible will happen … If they drag out the siege, we will lose people and equipment,” he told the Ukrainian NV radio station.