Sputnik/Sergei Karpukhin/Pool via Reuters
The ruling party of Armenia warned on Wednesday that if Russian President Vladimir Putin comes to Armenia, the country will have no choice but to arrest him.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a warrant for Putin’s arrest earlier this month over alleged war crimes in Ukraine, particularly his alleged involvement in the unlawful deportation of children from Ukraine. But the ICC doesn’t have power to enforce its warrants, and since Russia doesn’t recognize the court’s jurisdiction, much of its enforcement will depend on other countries’ willingness to step in if Putin travels.
“If Putin comes to Armenia, he should be arrested… It is better for Putin to stay in his country,” Gagik Melkonyan, deputy of the Armenian National Assembly, said, according to a Moscow Times translation of an interview with Factor.am.