Russian President Vladimir Putin made a shock go to to Mariupol, state media reported Sunday, his first to the town because it was captured after a prolonged siege at first of Moscow’s offensive in Ukraine.
The journey comes after an arrest warrant was issued for Putin by the Worldwide Legal Courtroom, over Russia’s alleged deportation of 1000’s of Ukrainian kids in the course of the battle.
Russia besieged Mariupol at first of its offensive final yr, destroying the Azovstal metal works, the final holdout of Ukrainian forces within the metropolis.
In response to state information company TASS on Sunday, Putin flew to Mariupol by helicopter on Saturday and took a tour of the town, at occasions driving a automotive.
He visited a number of websites and spoke with residents, and was offered with a report on the reconstruction work of the town.
Putin’s cease in Mariupol comes after his shock go to to Crimea on Saturday to mark the ninth anniversary of the peninsula’s annexation.
Russian state TV confirmed him visiting the Black Sea port metropolis of Sevastopol, accompanied by the native Moscow-appointed governor Mikhail Razvozhayev.
Razvozhayev stated on the messaging app Telegram that Putin had been anticipated to participate within the opening of a kids’s artwork faculty by video hyperlink.
“However Vladimir Vladimirovich got here in particular person. Himself. Behind the wheel. As a result of on such a historic day, the president is all the time with Sevastopol and the individuals of Sevastopol,” he stated.
Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 following a referendum that was not recognised by Kyiv and the worldwide neighborhood.
Addressing the World Financial Discussion board in Switzerland in January, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky stated he aimed to take again Crimea, although Moscow has refused to incorporate it in attainable peace talks.
– ‘Void’ ICC warrant –
Putin’s go to got here after the Worldwide Legal Courtroom issued an arrest warrant for him on Friday over the “deportation” of Ukrainian kids.
Kyiv says greater than 16,000 Ukrainian kids have been deported to Russia because the begin of the battle in February 2022, a lot of them positioned in establishments and foster houses.
ICC prosecutor Karim Khan instructed AFP that Putin was now answerable for arrest if he set foot in any of the court docket’s greater than 120 member states.
The 70-year-old Russian chief has not commented publicly on the warrant, however the Kremlin dismissed its validity as “void” since Russia didn’t recognise the ICC’s jurisdiction.
The Hague-based court docket’s resolution got here forward of Chinese language chief Xi Jinping’s go to to Moscow on Monday to signal accords touted as ushering in a brand new period of ties.
China, a serious Russian ally, has sought to place itself as a impartial celebration within the Ukraine battle, urging Moscow and Kyiv to open negotiations.
However Western leaders have repeatedly criticised Beijing for failing to sentence Russia’s offensive, accusing it of offering Moscow with diplomatic cowl for its marketing campaign.
– Grain deal prolonged –
In Ankara, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated the 2 sides had agreed to increase a deal that has allowed Ukraine, a serious grain exporter, to renew exports after its Black Sea ports had been blocked by Russian warships.
However there was disagreement over the phrases.
Ukraine’s infrastructure minister stated the deal had been prolonged for 120 days, however a spokeswoman for Russia’s overseas ministry stated Moscow had agreed to a 60-day extension.
The deal brokered by Turkey and the United Nations in July 2022 had allowed for the secure passage of exports, and had already been prolonged for 120 days in November.
The preventing is now concentrated within the jap Donetsk area of Ukraine, significantly the town of Bakhmut.
Russian strikes hit the close by metropolis of Kramatorsk on Saturday, killing two individuals and wounding 10, stated regional governor Pavlo Kyrylenko, who accused Moscow of utilizing cluster bombs within the assault.
AFP journalists in Kramatorsk heard round 10 explosions go off almost concurrently simply earlier than 4:00 pm native time (1400 GMT) and noticed smoke rise above a park within the southern a part of the town.
A girl died on the scene from her wounds, they noticed.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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