ICC warrants for the arrest of Putin, Volodymyr Zelenskyy imposed sanctions against Bashar al-Assad
0The United Nations confirmed that the deal to export Ukrainian grain from Black Sea ports, which was due to expire Saturday, has been extended, but it did not say for how long.
According to the terms of the agreement, the renewal should be for 120-days, but Russia has been pushing to extend for only half that period.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who along with the United Nations helped broker the deal, also confirmed it had been extended but did not specify for how long.
For weeks the United Nations has been working to keep it fully functioning after the Russians had raised complaints about its implementation.
Since it was signed on July 22 in Istanbul and renewed in November, the initiative has facilitated the safe export of nearly 25 million metric tons of grain and other foodstuffs from three Black Sea ports in Ukraine to global markets.
United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres is ready to continue to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin following the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) warrants for the arrest of Russian President Vladimir Putin, UN Secretary General’s Spokesman Stephane Dujarric told a briefing, TASS reports.
"Secretary-General will speak to whomever he needs to speak in order to deal with the issues in front of him," he said.
When asked how the ICC’s ruling could tell on Putin’s possible visits to the United Nations offices both in Geneva and in New York, the spokesman said, "I can only speak for him.
"As we've said many times before, here, the International Criminal Court is independent of the secretariat. We do not comment on their on their actions," he added.
U.S. President Joe Biden said on Friday that Russian President Vladimir Putin has clearly committed war crimes and the International Criminal Court's (ICC) decision to issue an arrest warrant for him was justified, Reuters reports.
"Well, I think it's justified," Biden added, referring to the warrant. "But the question is - it's not recognized internationally by us either. But I think it makes a very strong point."
The US authorities should understand that the aggressive behavior towards Russia will have consequences, said Maria Zakharova, official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry.
“Washington should think about the consequences of its increasingly aggressive actions, which are fraught with a direct military confrontation with Russia and the repetition of a humiliating failure for the United States in the fields of Vietnam and Afghanistan,” the diplomat emphasized.
This is how Zakharova commented on US Defense Minister Lloyd Austin's speech on arming Kyiv. The head of the Pentagon announced that more than 150 German-made Leopard tanks will be transferred to Ukraine, which he has committed to supply to a total of 9 Western countries. He added that, in addition, the number of countries that provide air defense equipment to Kyiv continues to grow.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, who met ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan on his visit to Ukraine, welcomed the arrest warrants for his nemesis in Moscow.
"A historic decision from which historic responsibility will begin," Zelensky said.
Ukraine's Western allies also hailed the move.
US President Joe Biden said the warrant was "justified," and "makes a very strong point," while noting that the United States is not a member of the ICC.
"There is no doubt that Russia is committing war crimes and atrocities in Ukraine, and we have been clear that those responsible must be held accountable," a State Department spokesperson said. "The ICC Prosecutor is an independent actor."
Britain called the decision "welcome" and the European Union said it was "just the start." Human Rights Watch said it was a "big day for the many victims" of Russian forces.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine, imposed sanctions against Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad.
This blocks al-Assad's assets available in Ukraine, prohibits any trade transactions, etc.
In addition to the president, sanctions have been imposed against 70-year-old Syrian Prime Minister Hussein Arnous and Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump said he expects to be arrested on Tuesday (March 21) in a case brought by the Manhattan district attorney's office and called on his supporters to protest, according to a post on Truth Social on Saturday (March 18).
Trump said, without providing evidence, that "illegal leaks" from the Manhattan district attorney's office indicated that he would be arrested. He did not say what the charges would be.
"Illegal leaks from a corrupt & highly political Manhattan district attorney's office ... indicate that, with no crime being able to be proven ... the far & away leading Republican candidate & former president of the United States of America, will be arrested on Tuesday of next week," Trump wrote.
"Protest, take our nation back!" Trump said.