The United States Department of State spokesman, Matthew Miller, expressed his support for the arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against former Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces Valeri Gerasimov. These arrest warrants are related to their alleged involvement in war crimes during the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Miller stated during a press conference that there have been atrocities committed by Russian forces during the invasion and stressed the importance of accountability for these actions. He also mentioned that the US supports various international investigations into Russian atrocities in Ukraine, including those conducted by the ICC. However, he did not provide specifics on the conversations between the ICC and the US regarding these investigations.
The ICC has accused Shoigu and Gerasimov of committing “international crimes” between October 2022 and March 2023. These crimes include attacks on civilian targets and inhumane acts in the context of war. The arrest warrants against them add to those already issued for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Presidential Commissioner for Children’s Rights Maria Lvova-Belova for alleged crimes related to the forced deportation of Ukrainian children from occupied areas.
Despite the arrest warrants, Putin, Lvova-Belova, Shoigu, and Gerasimov have not been detained or handed over to the ICC at this time. The international community continues to monitor the situation in Ukraine and call for accountability for those responsible for war crimes.