With the war between Russia and Ukraine, which began in March of 2022, still raging on, the leaders of both nations have been in the news nonstop for over a year. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been gaining increasing support for his country’s war effort from nations around the world. In contrast, the Russian government and its leader, President Vladimir Putin, are faced with intense scrutiny over their invasion in Ukraine.   

On March 17, the International Criminal Court (ICC) officially issued an arrest warrant for Putin. Alongside him, Russia’s Children’s Rights Commissioner, Maria Alekseyevna Lyvova-Belova, also had a warrant put out for her arrest. The two have been charged with unlawful deportation of children from Ukraine. Zelensky has also argued that Russia has committed numerous other war crimes such as executing civilians, and CNN has confirmed that the invading nation is targeting energy infrastructure vital to Ukrainian cities. It is questionable as to whether or not the warrant will have any real effect given that Russia has never formally recognized the ICC. 

As reported by AP News, Russian Press Secretary, Dmitry Peskov, immediately announced that the country feels no threat from the charges and believes them to be “outrageous and unacceptable”. This stance may also dig the nation further into a hole in the international community since Russia is one of the five permanent members of the United Nations (UN) Security Council. Putin has, however, found one ally in these trying times for himself.

Xi Jinping, the current president of China and fellow permanent member of the UN Security Council, visited the contentious nation days after the warrant was issued. The two leaders have historically maintained close ties for years, and both lead the two largest communist countries in the world. According to USA Today, Jinping gave public statements showing his support for the Russian president and has called for an end to the war in search of a peaceful resolution. The proposed peace plan would allow Russia to keep Ukrainian lands that its troops currently occupy.

These recent developments have made waves in the media, and other world leaders are making their own appropriate precautions. Whether or not the warrant will have a lasting effect on the war, however, is still yet to be seen.

Contact Adam Mohammed at [email protected]