Russian President Vladimir Putin has the official status of a suspect in an international crime, which means that he must be arrested and brought to trial outside Russia, Prosecutor-General of Ukraine Andriy Kostin commented on Facebook on the arrest warrant for Putin.
"World leaders will think twice before shaking hands with him or sitting down with him at the negotiating table. The world has received a signal that the Russian regime is criminal and its leadership and accomplices will be brought to justice. This is a historic decision for Ukraine and the entire system of international law," Kostin said.
The Prosecutor-General's Office has handed over more than 40 volumes of materials to the International Criminal Court - more than 1,000 pages, Kostin added.
"In general, in the proceedings in which the Prosecutor-General's Office provides procedural guidance, the deportation of more than 16,000 children from Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv and Kherson regions was recorded. But the real number may be much higher," he pointed out.
So far, Ukraine has managed to bring home 308 children.
"We expect all states that consider themselves part of the civilized world to take appropriate steps to bring those suspected of committing international crimes to justice. Even if they are the highest leaders of the Russian terrorist regime. Especially if these are the highest leaders of the Russian terrorist regime," he added.
On 17 March, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Vladimir Putin and Russian ombudsman for children's rights Maria Lvova-Belova.
They are accused of illegal deportation of children and illegal transfer of children from the occupied territories of Ukraine to the territory of the Russian Federation.