A specialist has shed light on the possibility of Vladimir Putin being arrested upon his arrival in the US on Friday, August 15, for talks with Donald Trump.
President Trump had earlier indicated he might impose further sanctions on Russia and introduce secondary tariffs on nations purchasing Russian oil if Russia did not advance toward resolving the conflict in Ukraine.
Despite the deadline set by the president, the meeting between Trump and Putin is scheduled for Friday to discuss strategies to end the conflict.
The fact that this summit is taking place on American soil has led to speculation about whether Putin could face arrest upon his arrival in the United States.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued a warrant for the Russian leader for war crimes, making him subject to arrest in countries such as the UK, France, Germany, and Canada.
However, since the US does not recognize ICC jurisdiction, it appears unlikely that Putin would be detained upon entry into the US.
Hamish de Bretton-Gordon explained to the Sun: “He can roam around the world, in theory, in any countries that are not members of the ICC.
“A warrant from the ICC means nothing in those countries that are not signatories to it.
“And the Americans aren’t, so – he can go to Alaska.
“That is the loophole. He can operate exactly how he sees fit. He wouldn’t have gone anywhere where potentially he could be arrested.”
Despite the low likelihood of Putin’s detainment, the expert noted that Putin would likely have received numerous guarantees from the Trump administration before agreeing to the meeting.
“Trump will have given Putin some cast iron agreement he won’t be arrested for the criminal proceedings against him,” de-Bretton Gordon added.
“President Putin is absolutely fixated about his own security, and his desire not to wander out of friendly airspace.
“There’s not much of that to Alaska – would only be in international airspace for a few miles.”
As reported by CBS News, the White House is attempting to persuade European leaders to accept a proposal whereby Ukraine would concede parts of Donbas, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia to Russia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has already rejected any proposals that would involve Ukraine surrendering its territory to end the conflict.
“The answer to Ukraine’s territorial question is already in the constitution of Ukraine,” the Ukrainian president stated. “No one will and no one can deviate from it. Ukrainians will not give their land to the occupier.”