International Criminal Court (ICC) judges issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, citing his involvement in the alleged war crimes of the unlawful deportation and transfer of children from occupied areas in Ukraine to Russia. Piotr Hofmanski, president of the court, noted the ICC's judges had done their part in issuing the warrants, and it is up to the larger international community to now enforce them.

The charges against Putin are based on the persecution of ethnic Ukrainians, Tatars, and other groups since the 2014 annexation of Crimea, as well as kidnappings, torture, and other abuses during the war in eastern Ukraine. Some of the accusations include the abduction of 12 children in 2015 and 2016, who were transferred to Russia without their families' consent.

Russia has refused to recognize the ICC's jurisdiction and has not yet extradited its own nationals, making it difficult to enforce the