menu_open
Columnists
We use cookies to provide some features and experiences in QOSHE

More information  .  Close
Aa Aa Aa
- A +

An Indicted And Isolated Putin Goes For Another Election – OpEd

3 1
20.01.2024

By Marko Mocevic

It should come as little surprise that President Putin announced his bid for a fifth presidential term in Russia’s March 17 elections. It is equally unsurprising that Mr. Putin will probably evade arrest over his alleged responsibilityfor war crime charges related to the unlawful deportation and transportation of children levied by the International Criminal Court (ICC). Instead of prison, Putin will likely enjoy an electoral victory and the continued immunity that it brings on the indictment’s anniversary.

While the arrest warrant created legal and diplomatic hurdles for the Kremlin, it has also aided Putin’s survival domestically and advanced Russia’s union with Washington’s adversaries. Although the indictment is legally justified, it is practically unattainable because arrest and extradition – while not impossible – remain highly improbable. Coupled with economic sanctions, global asset forfeitures, and cultural prohibitions, the indictment serves as another example – in legal form – of the comprehensive political, economic, and social isolation imposed by the West. Putin touts these measures as the existential struggle between the Russian people and the West to garner political support at home and abroad.

The indictment’s implications extend beyond the legal risks to Putin by introducing diplomatic costs that are irritating and isolating Moscow from Western capitals. Mr. Putin has since limited his international travels to Western nations and those that are party to the Rome Statute. Notably, he skipped out on the BRICS Summit in Johannesburg out of fear of arrest and extradition. But the Kremlin’s world hasn’t shrunk entirely, and the implications are largely inconsequential for the Russian president personally. As the door to the West closed, another has opened to the East.

Contrary to its intent, the warrant all but ensures Putin’s continued reign and Russia’s enduring pivot toward the East. Putin’s meetings with North Korean and Iranian leaders inside Russia, coupled with his recent trip to China, illustrate Moscow’s budding relationship with Washington’s foes. His tour around the Middle East shows that even........

© Eurasia Review


Get it on Google Play