The Armenian government has threatened to arrest Russian president Vladimir Putin if he chooses to enter Armenia despite the countries' allyship, The Daily Beast reports.
Per Reuters, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant to the Russian leader, "accusing Putin of the war crime of illegally deporting hundreds of children from Ukraine, a move condemned by the Kremlin as a meaningless and outrageously partisan decision."
The Daily Beast reports:
Armenia is not alone, and other countries are banding together with plans to arrest Putin. Ireland, Croatia, Austria, and Germany have each said they will enforce the warrant.
"If Putin comes to Armenia, he should be arrested… It is better for Putin to stay in his country," Gagik Melkonyan, deputy of the Armenian National Assembly, said. "If we enter into these agreements, then we must fulfill our obligations. Let Russia solve its problems with Ukraine."
Reuters reports, "state Russian news agency, RIA, cited a source in the Russian Foreign Ministry as saying that Moscow regarded Armenia's ICC plans as 'unacceptable,' and The Daily Beast reports the institution confirmed "there would be 'extremely negative' consequences for Armenia moving forward.
"Moscow considers absolutely unacceptable the plans of official Yerevan to accede to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court against the backdrop of the recent illegal and legally void 'warrants' of the ICC against the Russian leadership," a source said, according to The Daily Beast.
The Daily Beast reports:
Even though Armenia is technically a Russian ally—as part of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO)—Armenia's decision is just the latest indication that the country is willing to take matters into its own hands and hold Putin accountable.
