President of the U.S.A Joe Biden claimed that the Kremlin strongman Vladimir Putin committed war crimes and called justified the decision of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to issue a warrant for his arrest.

Yesterday, the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Putin on charges of illegally transferring children and illegally transporting civilians from Ukraine to Russia during the Russian invasion.

“Obviously he committed war crimes,” Biden said of his Russian counterpart. “I think it’s justified,” he said, referring to the arrest warrant issued by the ICC, before adding, “Of course the issue is… he’s not recognized internationally, even by us. But I think it sends a strong message.”

Neither the US nor Russia recognizes the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court.

The ICC decision obliges 123 member states to proceed with the arrest of Russian President Vladimir Putin, if he is found on the territory of any of them, with a view to bringing him to trial in The Hague. The International Criminal Court also issued an arrest warrant for Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia’s presidential commissioner for children’s rights.

Moscow denies allegations that Russian troops have committed war crimes in Ukraine. The Kremlin has described the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant for Putin as “outrageous,” stressing that it is “meaningless” because Russia does not recognize ICC jurisdiction.

^{According to REUTERS}