The Kremlin is shocked by the arrest warrant for Putin.

The Kremlin turned out to be unprepared to issue an ISS warrant for the arrest of Vladimir Putin, primarily with regard to restricting his movement around the world.

Meduza writes that difficulties with the foreign visits of the President of Russia have already begun: in August this year, the BRICS summit is to be held in South Africa, but the authorities of this country said that they had already “taken note” of the ISS order.

According to two interlocutors of the publication, the Kremlin intended to promote the image of Putin in 2023 (including for the domestic Russian audience on the eve of the presidential elections) as a “fighter against the West”, “defender of the countries of Latin America and Africa from colonial oppression” and “one of the main leaders multipolar world.

Meduza’s interlocutors note that this requires foreign trips, in which travel is now limited due to the decision of the ISS. Theoretically, the President of Russia can be detained on the Hague warrant in 123 countries. Sources close to the Presidential Administration note that so far the Kremlin does not quite understand how it is possible to “ensure the security” of the president in the new conditions.

Even the CIS ceases to be a safe space [для Путіна]- stated one of the interlocutors (among the countries that ratified the Rome Statute of the ISS, there is, for example, Tajikistan).

At the same time, the same interlocutor added: the Kremlin doubts that any of the countries that were previously part of the USSR can decide to arrest Putin, but “tenths, hundredths of a percent [імовірності цього] It is the detention of a Meduza source’s Putin that is considered “impossible” precisely because the Russian president simply won’t go to a country where there is at least a minimal risk of being arrested.

Meduza’s interlocutors noted that despite the war that Russia unleashed in 2022, Putin regularly traveled abroad and participated in forums and summits.

For example, in the summer of 2022, he visited Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Iran, and in the autumn – Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Armenia (at the same time, after February 24, the paths never left for Western countries).

According to two interlocutors close to the Presidential Administration, such trips were very important, including for internal Russian propaganda, which, based on the news about these visits, could tell citizens that “in Russia there are still more friends than ill-wishers,” and the country remains “one of the pillars of a multipolar world”.

Restrictions on foreign visits will work in the opposite direction. By the time Putin’s trips were combined with trips of foreign leaders to Moscow. Now it will not be possible to maintain the same frequency of meetings – you cannot constantly invite everyone to your place, ”said one of Meduza’s sources.

Difficulties with foreign visits have already begun: in August 2023, the next BRICS summit is to be held in South Africa; the authorities of this country on March 20 said that they “took note” of the order of the ISS.

At the same time, presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov claims that the Kremlin is “calm” about the decision of the International Criminal Court in The Hague and “continues to work”, the Investigative Committee opened a criminal case against the judges who issued the warrant, and Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev threatened to target. rocket attack on the courthouse in The Hague.

Simultaneously with Putin, the ISS issued an arrest warrant for children’s ombudsman Maria Lvovo-Belova, a key figure in the system of forcible removal of Ukrainian children to Russia.

Meduza sources close to the Kremlin note that the Presidential Administration now assumes that the list of officials for whom warrants will be issued in The Hague may expand, for example, it may include the governors of regions that accept children from the annexed Ukrainian territories. However, according to the Kremlin, this will not affect their lives in any way: “In fact, civil servants, one might say, do not go abroad. [під час війни]”.

Source: Racurs

David

I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.