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ICC Arrest Warrant For Vladimir Putin Is A Significant Optic. Not Debatable. Does It Change Trajectory Of The War? Doubtful. Neither Russia, Ukraine Party To ICC, Nor Is US, China, India, Turkiye

The International Criminal Court (ICC) Arrest Warrant For Vladimir Putin Is A Significant Optic.  That’s Not Debatable. 

The Charges Thus Far Were Not Secretly Uncovered- The Government Of The Russian Federation Not Only Admitted, But Publicized As A Humanitarian Act.

Does It Change The Trajectory Of The War Against Ukraine?  Doubtful.

Parties To Russian Federation-Ukraine War Not Ratifying ICC? Russian Federation And Ukraine.

Important To Note That A Country Ratifying Its Participation In ICC Does Not Mean It Accepts All Jurisdiction Of ICC.  Some Countries Have Ratified And Then Withdrawn.

NATO AND G7 Country Not Ratifying ICC? United States

Seven G20 Countries Not Ratified ICC

Ten Of Fifteen Members Of OPEC Not Ratified ICC

60% Of United Nations Security Council Permanent Members (There Are Five) Not Ratifying ICC? People’s Republic Of China, Russian Federation, United States.

Impact Upon President Putin Traveling To September 2023 G20 Summit in New Delhi, India?  India Not ICC Participant.

Impact Upon President Putin Traveling To September United Nations General Assembly In New York City?  United States Not ICC Participant.

Impact Upon Travel To Turkiye For Face-To-Face Negotiations With Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine?  Turkiye Not ICC Participant.

Associated Press (17 March 2023): “In the immediate term, the ICC’s [Rome, Italy-based International Criminal Court] warrant for Putin and one of his aides is unlikely to have a major impact on the meeting or China’s position toward Russia. Neither China nor Russia- nor the United States or Ukraine- has ratified the ICC’s founding treaty.  The U.S., beginning with the Clinton administration, has refused to join the court, fearing that its broad mandate could result in the prosecution of American troops or officials.  That means that none of the four countries formally recognizes the court’s jurisdiction or is bound by its orders, although Ukraine has consented to allowing some ICC probes of crimes on its territory and the U.S. has cooperated with ICC investigations.  In addition, it is highly unlikely that Putin would travel to a country that would be bound by obligations to the ICC.  If he did, it is questionable whether that country would actually arrest him.  There is precedent for those previously indicted, notably former Sudanese President Omar Bashir, to have visited ICC members without being detained.”

“The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court is the treaty that established the International Criminal Court (ICC).  It was adopted at a diplomatic conference in Rome, Italy on 17 July 1998 and it entered into force on 1 July 2002.  As of November 2019, 123 states are party to the statute.  Among other things, the statute establishes the court's functions, jurisdiction and structure.”  LINK To International Criminal Court Internet Site

  • “123 countries are States Parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. Out of them 33 are African States, 19 are Asia-Pacific States, 18 are from Eastern Europe, 28 are from Latin American and Caribbean States, and 25 are from Western European and other States.”

  • “The Rome Statute established four core international crimes: genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression. Those crimes "shall not be subject to any statute of limitations".  Under the Rome Statute, the ICC can only investigate and prosecute the four core international crimes in situations where states are "unable" or "unwilling" to do so themselves; the jurisdiction of the court is complementary to jurisdictions of domestic courts. The court has jurisdiction over crimes only if they are committed in the territory of a state party or if they are committed by a national of a state party; an exception to this rule is that the ICC may also have jurisdiction over crimes if its jurisdiction is authorized by the United Nations Security Council.”

Groups And Organizations Where Members (In BOLD) Have Not Ratified Participation In ICC:

  • North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO): United States, United Kingdom, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Albania, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Montenegro, Croatia, Czech Republic, Poland, Estonia, Romania, Germany, Slovakia, Greece, Slovenia, Hungary, Spain, Turkiye, Latvia, and North Macedonia.  

  • Group of Seven (G7): Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom, and United States.

  • Group Of 20: Argentina, Brazil, China, Germany, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Russia, Turkey, Australia, Canada, France, India, Italy, Mexico, Republic of South Africa, Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom, United States, and representatives of Brussels, Belgium-based European Union (EU).

  • European Union (EU): Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden.

  • United Nations Security Council (UNSC): There are five permanent members of the UNSC- China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, United States and ten non-permanent members (each elected for two-year terms) of the United Nations Security Council. There are 193 members of the United Nations.

  • Organization Of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC): Algeria, Angola, Congo, Ecuador, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Venezuela. OPEC Observers: Egypt, Mexico, Norway, Oman, and Russia among other countries.

  • Organization Of American States (OAS): Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, The Bahamas, Trinidad and Tobago, United States, Uruguay and Venezuela.

Signatories To The Rome Convention Which Created The International Criminal Court (ICC)

LINK TO COMPLETE ANALYSIS IN PDF FORMAT