Polish FM warns Putin his jet could be forced down over ICC warrant

Poland has warned Russian President Vladimir Putin against flying through its airspace en route to Hungary for his planned meeting with US President Donald Trump.

Speaking in an interview with Radio Rodzina, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski said that Putin’s aircraft might be forced to land to enforce the International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant against him, Caliber.Az reports, citing Reuters.

"I cannot guarantee that an independent Polish court won't order the government to escort such an aircraft down to hand the suspect to the court in The Hague," Sikorski said.

The ICC warrant obliges member states that have ratified the Rome Statute to arrest Putin if he enters their territory.

Sikorski noted that he believes the Russian side is aware of this.

“And, therefore, if this summit is to take place, hopefully with the participation of the victim of the aggression, the aircraft will use a different route,” the minister added.

As a reminder, on March 17, 2023, the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin, charging him with the war crime of unlawfully deporting and transferring Ukrainian children from occupied territories to the Russian Federation.

All ICC member states are legally obligated under the Rome Statute to arrest individuals subject to such warrants if they enter their territory, although enforcement has been patchy, and Russia does not recognise the court’s jurisdiction.

This warrant decision has created a complex travel risk for President Putin. EU countries, many of which are ICC signatories, could legally be compelled to detain him if his aircraft enters their airspace or lands on their territory.

By Jeyhun Aghazada