US Stance on ICC 'Arrest Warrant' for Putin Reminds of ‘Schizophrenia,’ Russian Embassy Says
03:38 GMT 18.03.2023 (Updated: 04:39 GMT 18.03.2023)
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WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - US support of the decision of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to issue an "arrest warrant" for Russian President Vladimir Putin is "reminiscent of sluggish schizophrenia," the Russian Embassy in the United States says.
On Friday, the ICC issued an order for Putin as well as Russia’s Children’s Rights Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova on the grounds of alleged "unlawful deportation" of Ukrainian children to Russia. US President Joe Biden said on Friday that the arrest warrant is "justified."
"Allowing unacceptable remarks about the Russian leader, the U.S. authorities deliberately keep silent about their own atrocities in Iraq, Yugoslavia, Libya and Vietnam. Moreover, in an attempt to protect its citizens from international prosecution by all available means, the United States even takes odious measures. For example, unprecedented economic sanctions that were imposed on the leadership of the Court, including ex-Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda, who initiated an investigation into U.S. atrocities in Afghanistan. What independence and impartiality can we talk about?" the Russian embassy said commenting on the US reaction.
The embassy emphasized that Washington supports the "unprecedented legal bacchanalia" unleashed by the ICC in order to protect its own geopolitical interests, despite the fact that neither the US, nor Russia, recognize the court's jurisdiction.
"Such a position is reminiscent of sluggish schizophrenia. Today, all American officials in unison repeated that the ICC is not a decree for the United States. However, a strategic interest to annoy Russia as much as possible outweighs," the Russian embassy said.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the ICC "warrants" to arrest Putin and Lvova-Belova are legally null and void as Russia is not a party to the Rome Statute and has no obligations under it, nor does it cooperate with the ICC.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has repeatedly stated that Russia is not a party to the ICC and its jurisdiction is not recognized by Moscow, so any of its decisions against the country are null from the legal point of view.
