The ICC, which accuses Putin of illegally deporting children from Ukraine, obliges the court’s 123 member states to arrest Putin and transfer him to The Hague for trial if he steps onto their territory. Neither Kyrgyzstan nor China are members of the ICC, established to prosecute war crimes.
Xi last saw his “dear friend” in Moscow just days after the warrant was issued. At that time, Xi invited Putin to attend the third Belt and Road Forum in Beijing, an international cooperation forum supported by the Chinese leader.
Russian media reported that Putin is to attend the official opening ceremony of the forum hosted by Xi and speak with the leaders of Vietnam, Thailand, Mongolia and Laos on Tuesday.