President Joe Biden said Friday that the International Criminal Court’s decision to issue an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin was “justified” as the country continues to launch widespread attacks in Ukraine. rice field.
ICC issued an arrest warrant on friday It accused Putin and the Russian president’s commissioner for children’s rights of war crimes and accused them of being involved in the illegal deportation and deportation of Ukrainian children from the occupied territories of Ukraine to Russia.The move could mean if Putin steps into any of the courts 123 Member States, the state is obliged to arrest him. The United States is not one of the member states to approve the ICC.
“I think it’s justified,” Biden said, referring to the warrant. Reuters and Hill. Biden added that Putin “clearly committed a war crime,” although he noted that the warrant was not recognized by the United States.
Meanwhile, Russian forces carried out 34 airstrikes, one missile strike and 57 anti-aircraft fire over a 24-hour period, Ukrainian military officials said Saturday morning.
- Debris fall south of Kherson damaged seven houses and a kindergarten overnight on Friday.
- Eleven towns and villages in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk oblast were hit by shelling on Friday, killing one person and wounding three, said Pablo Kirilenko, the province’s regional governor.
- Homes were damaged and catering businesses were destroyed when Russian rockets hit a residential area in the southeastern city of Zaporizhia on Friday night. No casualties were reported.
- A Ukrainian Air Force official said 11 of 16 Russian drones had been shot down Friday night during attacks in the central, western and eastern parts of the country.
development:
- A grain deal aimed at easing soaring global food prices was extended on Saturday. According to Turkish state media. The UN humanitarian chief asked for an extension on Friday as the deal nears its deadline. Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations said Moscow would extend the agreement, but only for 60 days. The deal will allow Ukraine, one of her one of the world’s important breadbaskets, to export grain from her three ports on the Black Sea.
- Head of the Wagner Private Military Group of Russia Announced on Saturday on Telegram We plan to recruit about 30,000 new combatants by mid-May.
- British and German fighter jets intercepted a Russian aircraft flying near Estonian airspace on Friday. announced by the British Air Force. It is the second time they have intercepted a Russian aircraft off the coast of Estonia.
Chinese President Xi Jinping visits Russia
Chinese President Xi Jinping plans to fly to Moscow next week meet with putin Appears to be an endorsement of the Russian president. Xi’s visit is expected to last Monday through Wednesday.
China so far refused to accuse Russia He condemned the war in Ukraine, but condemned Western sanctions against the country and accused NATO and the US of provoking Putin.
The Biden administration has warned against China pushing for a unilateral peace deal between Russia and Ukraine.
Ukraine celebrates 9th anniversary of annexation of Crimea
On Saturday, Ukraine marked the ninth anniversary of Russia’s annexation of Crimea and vowed to regain all Ukrainian territories occupied by Moscow.
“For the ninth year in a row, Crimea has suffered under the Kremlin’s criminal regime, turning it into a military outpost, a zone of denial and harassment, aggression and terror against everything and everyone who finds the courage. “To resist and defend their democratic rights and values,” the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. According to CNN.
Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, which much of the world denounced as illegal.
“Our duty is to restore freedom to the peninsula,” said Emine Jepal, Ukraine’s First Deputy Foreign Minister. in a statement on Twitter.
International leaders, including the UK, Finland and Swedenalso condemned the annexation of the Black Sea Peninsula from Ukraine and reaffirmed its support for the country.Meanwhile, Putin visited Crimea on Saturday to celebrate the anniversary.
Contributed by Associated Press
Contact Christine Fernando cfernando@usatoday.com Or follow her on Twitter. @christinetfern.