StealthSnax
Well-known member
Vladimir Putin's visit to Hungary may not be as straightforward as it appears. The Russian president's trip to meet US counterpart Donald Trump is set to take place despite an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant issued in 2023 for Putin over alleged war crimes, including the illegal deportation of Ukrainian children during Russia's conflict with Ukraine.
The ICC has 125 member states that are required by law to arrest individuals subject to a warrant as soon as they enter their territory. However, Hungary, which is hosting Putin, has announced its intention to withdraw from the Rome Statute, which established the Hague-based court in 2002. This move would render Hungary responsible for arresting Putin, but it's unclear if the country will follow through on its threat.
One potential route for Putin could be flying over Georgia or Turkey, both of which have signed up to the Rome Statute but may turn a blind eye. Alternatively, Putin might take a more circuitous route, avoiding countries like France and Spain, which have been wary of hosting him due to the ICC warrant.
It's worth noting that Putin has limited his travels since becoming an internationally wanted war criminal, opting for destinations with friendly relations with Russia or those that do not recognize the ICC. For example, he visited Mongolia recently, where he was treated to a lavish ceremony featuring soldiers on horseback by Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh.
The capture of Putin is almost inconceivable, and it's unclear whether any country would be willing to take on that risk. However, the ICC arrest warrant marks an important step towards eventual trial, and some national leaders have faced justice in The Hague before.
One possibility is that a future Russian leader might decide to forcibly hand Putin over for prosecution at the ICC, similar to what happened with Serbia's Slobodan Milosevic. However, this would necessitate a significant shift in the Kremlin's power dynamic, which seems unlikely for the time being.
Ultimately, Putin's visit to Hungary and his meeting with Trump may be more of a symbolic gesture than a concrete effort to resolve the conflict in Ukraine. The ICC arrest warrant remains an important development, but it's unclear what consequences will come from it – at least not yet.
The ICC has 125 member states that are required by law to arrest individuals subject to a warrant as soon as they enter their territory. However, Hungary, which is hosting Putin, has announced its intention to withdraw from the Rome Statute, which established the Hague-based court in 2002. This move would render Hungary responsible for arresting Putin, but it's unclear if the country will follow through on its threat.
One potential route for Putin could be flying over Georgia or Turkey, both of which have signed up to the Rome Statute but may turn a blind eye. Alternatively, Putin might take a more circuitous route, avoiding countries like France and Spain, which have been wary of hosting him due to the ICC warrant.
It's worth noting that Putin has limited his travels since becoming an internationally wanted war criminal, opting for destinations with friendly relations with Russia or those that do not recognize the ICC. For example, he visited Mongolia recently, where he was treated to a lavish ceremony featuring soldiers on horseback by Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh.
The capture of Putin is almost inconceivable, and it's unclear whether any country would be willing to take on that risk. However, the ICC arrest warrant marks an important step towards eventual trial, and some national leaders have faced justice in The Hague before.
One possibility is that a future Russian leader might decide to forcibly hand Putin over for prosecution at the ICC, similar to what happened with Serbia's Slobodan Milosevic. However, this would necessitate a significant shift in the Kremlin's power dynamic, which seems unlikely for the time being.
Ultimately, Putin's visit to Hungary and his meeting with Trump may be more of a symbolic gesture than a concrete effort to resolve the conflict in Ukraine. The ICC arrest warrant remains an important development, but it's unclear what consequences will come from it – at least not yet.
, have you seen them? I mean, I love a good case as much as the next person, and Apple's been killing it with their designs this year... Anyway, back to Putin – I wonder if he's gonna end up like Milosevic, haha just kidding, but seriously, can you imagine trying to capture a guy who's got that kind of security detail? It's like trying to catch a unicorn 
. Hungary's gotta be super nervous with that ICC warrant hanging over their heads...
so like Putin goes to Hungary despite ICC warrant lol what even is the point of having a global court if nobody's gonna enforce it? 
i mean, Hungary is all like "yeah sure we'll arrest him" but who knows for real? 
Putin just waltzes in and they're like "oh hey buddy what's up"? 
at least the ICC is trying to hold people accountable for their actions... that's something, right? 
. If they back down on their threat to withdraw from the Rome Statute, they'll be stuck in a weird spot where they can't arrest him, but also can't pretend like nothing's going on 
. And let's not forget that Trump is meeting with Putin - does that even count as an attempt to resolve Ukraine? 
Like, what would happen next? It's crazy to think that a country like Hungary, where he's landing, is literally gonna have to arrest him because of some treaty they signed years ago 
. And Trump is all set to meet with him too, which just feels so weird given the whole war crimes thing... it's like, can't they just put their differences aside for one sec? 
It's a super powerful move by them, making it look like Putin is going to get his butt kicked... or at least, taken in for questioning 
. But at the same time, I don't think anyone's actually gonna make that happen, 'cause let's be real, it'd be way too complicated and risky 
!
And what about Trump? Is he just gonna sit there and pretend that nothing's going on while Putin is basically getting a warm welcome? 
The more I think about it, the less confident I am in any of these plans... 
️ meanwhile, the ICC is trying to do its job and hold him accountable 
. maybe the ICC just needs to be more like Mongolian President Khurelsukh and throw them a fancy horseback ceremony to distract everyone from the warrant 
.
125 countries are supposed to be holding him accountable for those war crimes but apparently some of them are just too scared or too buddies with Russia 
that's not how it works, fam! 
like, can't he see the headlines screaming "POTUS LETS PUTIN WALK FREE"? 
that's not how diplomacy works, guys! 
meanwhile trump is gonna meet with him and be all "hey putin what's up" and i'm sure that'll resolve EVERYTHING