Yesterday, the International Criminal Court in The Hague charged Russian President Vladimir Putin with war crimes. The arrest warrants for Putin and his Commissioner for Children's Rights, Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova, relate to their involvement in the forced deportation and transfer of Ukrainian children to Russia. After the warrants were issued, Putin made a bold move to visit Russian-occupied Mariupol.

The International Criminal Court has no mechanisms of their own to enforce the warrant, so it is unlikely Putin will ever face the consequences of his actions. However, other governments will still have to weigh the reaction and costs of attempting to arrest him and other consequences of his actions if they choose to respond.

The warrants aren’t only a long-awaited accountability measure, but also a permanent record in history of Putin’s violations of international law. After investigations into crimes such as the deliberate striking of Ukrainian civilians, Putin is facing a