A western welcome to his arrest warrant… and the extension of the grain deal
In a surprise visit, Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Crimea yesterday, on the ninth anniversary of Russia’s annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula in 2014, following the issuance of an arrest warrant against him from the International Criminal Court.
The issuance of an arrest warrant against Putin by the International Criminal Court was widely welcomed by the West, despite doubts about its feasibility. On Friday, US President Joe Biden said that Putin had clearly committed war crimes, while German Chancellor Olaf Scholz believed that “no one is above the law.”
Simultaneously, Turkey announced the extension of the agreement, which allowed the resumption of Ukrainian grain exports.
For her part, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova confirmed Moscow’s agreement to extend the Ukrainian grain export agreement for a period of 60 days only, denying Ukrainian statements that talked about extending it for 120 days.
Putin visits Crimea after ICC warrant
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