International court issues war crimes warrant for Putin

By MIKE CORDER and RAF CASERT
Associated Press

THE HAGUE (AP) — The International Criminal Court says it has issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin for war crimes, accusing him of personal responsibility for the abductions of children from Ukraine. It was the first time the global court has issued a warrant against one of the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council. The warrant Friday also was for the arrest of Maria Lvova-Belova, the commissioner for Children’s Rights in Putin’s office, on similar allegations. A possible trial of any Russians at the ICC remains a long way off. Moscow does not recognize the court’s jurisdiction or extradite its nationals.