Hungary blocks joint EU statement on Putin arrest warrant - Bloomberg
Hungary has blocked a joint statement by EU member states on issuance of an arrest warrant for Putin by International Criminal Court in Hague.
As informs Censor.NЕТ referring to ET, Bloomberg reports.
Due to Budapest's veto, EU Chief Diplomat Josep Borrell issued a statement on his own behalf, in which he "took note of the decision of the International Criminal Court"
"The EU sees the ICC's decision as the beginning of a process of accountability and holding Russian leaders to account for the crimes and atrocities they order, allow or commit in Ukraine," Borrell said in a statement released on Sunday evening.
In addition, on Monday, EU justice ministers issued their own statement in support of the International Criminal Court's decision, which Hungary, again, did not sign.
It is expected that the arrest warrant for the Russian president will also appear in the conclusions of the European Council meeting to be held on March 23-24. The draft conclusions cited by Bloomberg use wording similar to Borrell's statement.
According to Bloomberg's sources, leaders of some states may insist on tougher wording regarding the International Criminal Court's decision.
As a reminder, on March 17, 2023, Pre-Trial Chamber II issued arrest warrants for Putin and Lvova-Belova, who is the Russian Presidential Commissioner for Children's Affairs.
Putin and Lvova-Belova are suspected of committing the war crime of illegal deportation of children from the occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation, which has been taking place since at least February 24, 2022.
The Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Kareem Khan, said that the arrest warrant issued in The Hague for Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is a lifetime arrest warrant.
