FILE – This mix of pictures exhibits Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, in Moscow on Could 9, 2025, and President Donald Trump in Washington on Aug. 1. The 2 are in talks to satisfy to debate the Russia-Ukraine conflict. (AP Picture/Alexander Zemlianichenko, Pool, Mark Schiefelbein, File)
Alexander Zemlianichenko, Pool. Mark Schiefelbein/AP/AP
conceal caption
toggle caption
Alexander Zemlianichenko, Pool. Mark Schiefelbein/AP/AP
President Trump stated his assembly with Russian President Vladimir Putin to debate an finish to the conflict in Ukraine is ready to occur “very shortly” at a date and placement that Trump stated he would announce “a bit bit later” on Friday.
When — and, most critically, the place — these talks may occur continues to be unclear. However discovering impartial territory for these negotiations could also be difficult as Putin faces the specter of arrest from the Worldwide Felony Courtroom (ICC).
In 2023, the ICC within the Hague issued an arrest warrant for Putin on conflict crime fees. This now limits the choices for the place Trump and Putin can meet because the Russian president faces potential arrest in any of the greater than 120 ICC member nations.
A basic view of the outside of the Worldwide Felony Courtroom in The Hague, Netherlands, March 12, 2025.
Omar Havana/AP/AP
conceal caption
toggle caption
Omar Havana/AP/AP
What’s the ICC and why can it situation arrest warrants?
In response to the necessity for a everlasting worldwide court docket addressing crimes dedicated throughout conflict, the Worldwide Felony Courtroom (ICC), which is predicated in The Hague, Netherlands, formally started working in July 2002.
Since 1999, 125 nations have signed onto the Rome Statute, establishing the worldwide court docket. Neither the U.S. or Russia are member states. Ukraine grew to become a member in 2024.
The ICC has authority to pursue prison fees, however solely on probably the most severe crimes: genocide, crimes in opposition to humanity, conflict crimes and the crime of aggression.
The court docket does not have its personal police power or enforcement physique, so it depends on nations’ cooperation to make arrests, switch arrested individuals to ICC detention in The Hague and to implement sentences.
The ICC issued an arrest warrant for Putin two years in the past over alleged conflict crimes tied to allegations Russia has forcibly kidnapped Ukrainian youngsters to Russia. The ICC additionally issued a warrant on the time for Putin’s commissioner for youngsters’s rights, Maria Lvova-Belova.
Russian officers have not denied the arrival of Ukrainian youngsters within the nation, however have characterised their arrival as a part of a humanitarian program for deserted, war-traumatized orphans.
Putin is not the one sitting head of state to face such severe fees from the ICC. Final November, the worldwide court docket issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for alleged conflict crimes and crimes in opposition to humanity within the Gaza Strip. The court docket additionally issued warrants for Yoav Gallant, Israel’s former protection minister, Muhammad Deif, Hamas’ army chief whom Israel says it killed in August, in addition to different Hamas officers.
Israel contested the allegations in opposition to Netanyahu and Gallant.
‘Russians do not care in regards to the ICC’
Critics and authorities leaders have repeatedly questioned the ability and authority of the ICC.
“Russians do not care in regards to the ICC,” stated Nina Khrushcheva, a global affairs professor for The New Faculty in New York, particularly due to the notion that the U.S. has been hypocritical relating to the court docket.
When the ICC filed arrest warrants in opposition to Netanyahu, then-President Joe Biden launched an announcement that stated, “The ICC issuance of arrest warrants in opposition to Israeli leaders is outrageous. Let me be clear as soon as once more: regardless of the ICC may suggest, there isn’t a equivalence — none — between Israel and Hamas. We are going to all the time stand with Israel in opposition to threats to its safety.”
However when the ICC issued a warrant in opposition to Putin, the response from the U.S. was extra supportive of the worldwide physique. On the time, White Home Nationwide Safety Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson informed NPR, “There isn’t any doubt that Russia is committing conflict crimes and atrocities in Ukraine, and we’ve got been clear that these accountable have to be held accountable. The ICC prosecutor is an impartial actor and makes his personal prosecutorial choices primarily based on the proof earlier than him. We help accountability for perpetrators of conflict crimes.”
Khrushcheva stated, “So for Putin, it is one more affirmation for him that the West is pretty hypocritical, and so he does not take note of it.”
Again in September, Putin traveled to Mongolia, an ICC member since 2002. The journey went easily, and Putin was by no means taken into custody.
The view of the court docket is that, as a member state, Mongolia had an obligation to honor the ICC’s arrest warrant, in response to David Bosco, professor at Indiana College, who spoke to NPR’s All Issues Thought of final 12 months.
However, Bosco stated, “Mongolia can also be located proper between Russia and China — two nations that it has huge financial linkages with. And neither of these nations is a member of the ICC. Neither of them are pleasant to the ICC. And Mongolia clearly determined that its financial and diplomatic pursuits outweighed its authorized obligations as a court docket member.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and U.S. President Donald Trump’s particular envoy Steve Witkoff, proper, shake palms throughout their assembly on the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025.
Gavriil Grigorov/AP/Pool Sputnik Kremlin
conceal caption
toggle caption
Gavriil Grigorov/AP/Pool Sputnik Kremlin
What are the leaders’ choices?
Whereas consultants and analysts have lengthy stated the prospect of an arrest of Putin is extraordinarily slim, it is unlikely that the Russian chief would take the possibility and maintain such a major assembly on unfriendly floor, Khrushcheva stated.
So this nonetheless possible guidelines out lots of the 125 nations listed as ICC members. This leaves technically about 70 nations nonetheless obtainable, however fewer nonetheless are pleasant to each Russia and the U.S.
Khrushcheva says the Center East appears to be like to be probably the most promising for either side to satisfy, given each Russia and the U.S. have good relations with a number of nations there.
“Both the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia … Turkey are all potential choices,” she stated.
That is made much more possible because of the reality prior talks between Russia and Ukraine had been beforehand held in Saudi Arabia and Turkey.
Many countries within the Center East have “raised their standing fairly a bit,” as a result of they’ve held these impartial grounds for negotiation, Khrushcheva stated.
And the Center East has performed an more and more massive function in internet hosting high-stakes worldwide negotiations. The small, rich Arab Gulf nation of Qatar, additionally a U.S. ally, served as the house for delicate negotiations between Israel and Hamas, for the reason that conflict in Gaza started in October 2023. Egypt additionally performed an important function in mediating that battle.
