Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday visited Crimea to mark the ninth anniversary of the peninsula's annexation, a day after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant against him over the Ukraine conflict.
Turkey announced the extension of a deal that has allowed Ukraine to export grain following Russia's offensive, but Kyiv and Moscow disagreed over the length of the extension.
Putin's surprise visit to Crimea was his first to the peninsula since he sent troops to Ukraine on February 24 last year, apart from when he drove across the bridge linking the territory to mainland Russia last December.
Russian state TV showed him visiting the Black Sea port city of Sevastopol, accompanied by the local Moscow-appointed governor Mikhail Razvozhayev.
Razvozhayev said on the messaging app Telegram that Putin had been expected to take part in the opening of a children's art school by video link.
"But Vladimir Vladimirovich came in person. Himself. Behind the wheel. Because on such a historic day, the president is always with Sevastopol and the people of Sevastopol," he said.
Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 following a referendum that was not recognized by Kyiv and the international community.
Speaking at the Davos forum in January, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine aimed to take back Crimea, "our land". Moscow has refused to include it in possible peace talks.
Putin's visit came a day after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant against him over the "deportation" of Ukrainian children.
Kyiv says more than 16,000 Ukrainian children have been deported to Russia since the start of the conflict last year, many of them placed in institutions and foster homes.
ICC prosecutor Karim Khan told AFP Friday that Putin was now liable for arrest if he set foot in any of the court's more than 120 member states.
The 70-year-old Russian leader has yet to publicly comment on the warrant.
But the Kremlin dismissed the legal validity of the warrant, arguing that since Russia did not the ICC's jurisdiction, it was "void".
The Hague-based court's decision came ahead of Chinese leader Xi Jinping's visit to Moscow next week to sign accords ushering in a new era of ties. Xi will be in Russia from Monday to Wednesday.
China, a major Russian ally, has sought to position itself as a neutral party, urging Moscow and Kyiv to resolve the conflict through negotiations.
But Western leaders have repeatedly criticized Beijing for failing to condemn Russia's offensive, accusing it of providing Moscow with diplomatic cover for its campaign.
In Ankara, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the two sides had agreed to extend the deal that has allowed Ukraine, a major grain exporter, to resume shipments.
But there was disagreement over the terms.
Ukraine's infrastructure minister said the deal had been extended for 120 days, but a spokeswoman for Russia's foreign ministry said Moscow had agreed to a 60-day extension.
Ukraine's Black Sea ports were blocked by warships after Russia sent in troops last year.
The deal brokered by Turkey and the United Nations in July 2022 -- and signed by Kyiv and Moscow -- had allowed for the safe passage of exports. It was extended for 120 days in November.
Fighting on the ground is concentrated in the eastern Donbas region of Ukraine, particularly the city of Bakhmut.
The mayor of nearby Kramatorsk said Russian strikes on the city killed two people and wounded eight on Saturday, accusing Moscow of using cluster bombs.
AFP journalists in Kramatorsk heard around 10 explosions go off nearly simultaneously just before 4:00 pm local time and saw smoke above a park in the southern part of the city.
A woman died at the scene from her wounds, they saw.
© 2023 AFP
16 Comments
Bronco
After a year long multinational war crimes investigation, the only war crime they found was send orphans into homes with adopted families.
No charges of genocide, mass murder or any other claims of atrocities.
No charges for the accusations of war crimes at Bucha.
Why not?
TaiwanIsNotChina
The only things they can directly charge Indicted War Criminal Putin (IWCP) with are things he has shamelessly bragged about or that were done so openly that they must have had his approval. In this case, Russian news publicized the stealing of a girl with living relatives in Ukraine to go live with strangers in Moscow. Other charges will be coming, particularly the bombing of power plants, but it will take a long line of smaller fish to flip to use the events of Bucha against Putin.
TaiwanIsNotChina
Putin better enjoy Crimea while he can as it about to be disconnected from Russia and returned to its rightful owner.
fallaffel
This is (alleged war criminal) Putin visiting one of the few places outside Russia he's still free to go without fear of arrest.
fallaffel
I hope they will do a head count of the children after his visit.
TaiwanIsNotChina
You sir. I like you.
starpunk
By visiting the Crimea Putin is now in a foreign country (Ukraine), even if the Russians are occupying that territory. It's an illegal occupation. Since the Crimea is a small region, this gives a green light for agents to put the bag on Putin! He's making himself vulnerable to arrest now! Maybe somebody there could surrender his ass to the ICC. We can hope.
RichardPearce
And tomorrow Putin plays host to representatives of the majority of African countries. So much for 'isolated' or 'pariah'.
cleo
Why? Any number that came out of Muscovy would be made-up anyways.
Brave brave AWC Putin, visiting a heavily-defended annexed territory to mark 9 years since its theft. When will we see him in a hard hat visiting his brave troops on the front line in Bakhmut, inspecting the trenches and sharing their decades-out-of-date rations?
u_s__reamer
After a year long multinational war crimes investigation, the only war crime they found was send orphans into homes with adopted families.
No charges of genocide, mass murder or any other claims of atrocities.
No charges for the accusations of war crimes at Bucha.
Why not?
Patience, Tovarishch! "Pedo" Putin is just the start of his rap sheet. There'll be more to follow as the evidence of his multiple crimes against humanity accumulates and the West finds a way to present it to the public that doesn't expose their double standards too egregiously. But make no mistake, in the court of public opinion all people who love the truth reached a guilty verdict for him and his minions long ago. "Justice" on this earth may be biased, but t'was ever so.
Peter14
So Putin visits occupied Ukraine after his arrest warrant was issued by the ICC. What a douche!
TokyoLiving
Most powerful man on earth..
Like it or not..
stormcrow
Russia’s Vietnam War.
The Ukrainians will never give up!
UChosePoorly
Lol, Russian media personality (and ex-PM) musing about taking part of Turkiye into Russia because they are distracted by the earthquake now, so, why not?
https://twitter.com/Gerashchenko_en/status/1637028332989566976
UChosePoorly
*sorry, that should be ex-MP (Member of Parliament)
TaiwanIsNotChina
He can't travel to 123 countries and his military is the joke of NATO. Not sure why you think he is so powerful when he must have to have hid food tasted and sleep with a gun under his pillow.