Putin is expected to meet Trump in Hungary despite ICC arrest warrant for the Russian president

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) – Vladimir Putin is expected to travel to Hungary soon for talks with U.S. President Donald Trump on ending the war in Ukraine – despite the Russian leader facing an International Criminal Court arrest warrant.

Putin is wanted by the court on a warrant dating back to March 2023 for alleged involvement in the abduction of children from Ukraine during the conflict triggered by Moscow’s invasion of its neighbor.

The court, headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands, relies on other countries to arrest suspects. It seems unlikely to get any cooperation from Hungary, which earlier this year rolled out the red carpet for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who also is wanted by the ICC over allegations of crimes against humanity in the Gaza conflict. Netanyahu vehemently denies the charges.

After hosting Netanyahu, Hungary’s nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said in April that his country would begin the process of withdrawing from the court.

The court was set up in 2002 and aims to hold leaders and senior officials accountable for crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide. It has 125 member states, but three major global powers – the United States, Russia and China – are not members. Ukraine officially joined the court in January.

More than 900 staff work for the court that has a budget this year of just over 195 million euros ($228 million).

In an indication of the problems it has getting suspects arrested, judges have issued warrants for 61 people and 30 remain at large.

The ICC is a court of last resort, meaning it only takes on cases when other countries’ legal systems are unable or unwilling to prosecute suspects.

Trump’s administration has slapped sanctions on the court’s chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, some ICC judges and Khan’s two deputies. Trump accuses the court of “illegitimate and baseless actions” targeting America and Israel.

Trump previously sanctioned Khan’s predecessor, Fatou Bensouda, during his first term in the White House. The Biden administration subsequently lifted those sanctions.

Russia also rejects the court’s authority and has issued a warrant for Khan and the ICC judge who signed Putin’s warrant.

Putin has already traveled overseas since the warrant was issued in 2023, including to ICC member state Mongolia. He’s also traveled to China and North Korea, which are not court members.

The only other countries to have left are Burundi and the Philippines, whose former president, Rodrigo Duterte, is in custody at the court’s cell block in The Hague after he was arrested on charges of crimes against humanity linked to his government’s deadly crackdown on drugs.

Last month, ruling military juntas in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger said that the three African nations also are withdrawing from the court, accusing it of what they say is selective justice.

Khan has stepped down pending the outcome of an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct. He has categorically denied accusations that he tried for more than a year to coerce a female aide into a sexual relationship and groped her against her will.

No date has been set for the investigation to be completed.