ICC Issues War Crimes Warrants for Top Russian Officials

Video Transcript

• ICC Issues War Crimes Warrants for Top Russian Officials

  This transcript has been lightly edited for clarity.

  Sergei Shoigu up until a year ago was the head of the Department of Defense in Russia. So he was the primary person who was in charge of the Russian military. Gerasimov is a major general in the Russian military and is chief of staff of the Russian army. So these are two very important people who are engaged in the war effort. And suddenly now they can no longer go around the world.

  This sends a message that there are multiple tools in the West toolbox to deal with Putin and with Russia in regards to the war in Ukraine and potential war crimes. And I think that there is a strong probability that this war will end not on the battlefield but in the courtroom, because these indictments from the ICC, attempts to update crimes of aggression, these are all occurring around the world, and this will entrap Putin and the Russians for years to come, because they will not be able to go to foreign cities. 

  Russia will dismiss these indictments because it is not subject to the jurisdiction of the ICC. And they will simply say that this is just another attempt by the West to interfere in Russia's external and internal affairs. Ukraine will welcome this and will welcome the fact that even more Western institutions are rallying around Ukraine and thethe attempt for Ukraine to defend its territory. 

  And so I think this will be yet another sign that Ukraine is making inroads in Western institutions. and against Russia, that will have consequences in the long term.