Zelensky at the International Criminal Court: I am certain Putin will be convicted in this court

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on the global community to hold Putin accountable for the war in his country during a visit to the International Criminal Court (ICC). On Thursday, May 3, 2023, Zelensky made an unannounced trip to the Netherlands, where he met with the Prime Minister of the Netherlands and the Prime Minister of Belgium. He urged the leaders of both countries to provide advanced fighter jets to Ukraine so that his country could achieve 'justice on the battlefield.' According to the Associated Press, during his visit to the ICC in The Hague, Zelensky told the judges that the Russian leader 'deserves punishment for the crimes he has committed, right here, in the capital of international law.' The ICC issued an arrest warrant for Putin in March for committing war crimes in Ukraine, holding him personally responsible for the abduction of children from Ukraine. This is the first arrest warrant issued by the ICC for one of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council. Although it seems highly unlikely that the Russian President will attend this court for trial, this international body, which prosecutes individuals for genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity, does not have the police power to enforce arrest warrants. Furthermore, the likelihood of Putin traveling to one of the 123 member countries of the ICC, which are obliged to arrest him if possible, is very low. On Wednesday, the Ukrainian President had visited Finland. With Finland joining NATO last month, NATO's borders with Russia have doubled. Zelensky has so far succeeded in garnering military and political support from Western countries and NATO members in defending his country against Russia. He is scheduled to travel to Berlin, the economic hub of the European Union, next week.