Russia’s war on Ukraine latest: Biden says Putin war crime charges justified
THE STORY CONTINUES BELOW THESE SALTWIRE VIDEOS
(Reuters) – The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Friday issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin, charging him with the war crime of illegally deporting hundreds of children from Ukraine. The Kremlin reacted with outrage.
PUTIN GUARANTEE
* US President Joe Biden said Putin clearly committed war crimes and the ICC’s decision to issue an arrest warrant against him was justified.
* The International Criminal Court’s move obliges the court’s 123 member states to arrest Putin and hand him over to The Hague for trial if he enters their territory.
* It sparked an angry reaction in Moscow, ranging from depriving the court of its jurisdiction to vows to protect Putin from arrest. The Kremlin said the warrant was outrageous but meaningless in relation to Russia.
* Moscow has repeatedly denied allegations that its forces committed atrocities during the invasion, which it describes as a special military operation.
grain exports
* The United Nations is doing “everything possible” to ensure a deal allowing Ukrainian grain exports from Black Sea ports goes ahead, UN aid chief Martin Griffiths told the Security Council on Friday, a day before the pact expires.
DIPLOMACY, NATO
* Three senior US security officials held a video call with a group of their Ukrainian counterparts to discuss military aid to Kiev, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s chief of staff said.
* The International Monetary Fund said on Friday its board had approved rule changes that would allow the IMF to authorize lending programs for countries facing “exceptionally high levels of uncertainty” – a move expected to pave the way for new lending in Ukraine will pave.
* President Tayyip Erdogan on Friday said Turkey’s parliament will begin ratifying Finland’s entry into NATO, removing the biggest remaining hurdle to expanding the western defense alliance while the war in Ukraine rages on, despite losing approval of Sweden’s offer held back.
BATTLE
* In eastern Ukraine, Kiev’s forces continued to withstand Russian attacks on the devastated city of Bakhmut to the east.
* A commander of Ukraine’s ground forces said Friday Russian forces were trying to break through Ukraine’s defenses in several directions to completely encircle Bakhmut.
A SELECTION OF CURRENT DEPTH STORIES
* EXCLUSIVE – Russians flood Kazakhstan with requests for sanctions scrapping
* INSIGHT – North of Bakhmut, another key battle will test Ukraine’s defenses
* SPECIAL REPORT-Wagner’s convicts tell of horrors of Ukraine war and loyalty to their leader
* ANALYSIS patchwork fixes to Ukraine’s grain shortage leave the world vulnerable after a year of war
(Compiled by Reuters editors)