An expert has revealed whether Vladimir Putin could be arrested when he lands in the US on Friday (August 15) to meet Donald Trump.
The president has previously suggested he would impose additional sanctions on Russia and introduce secondary tariffs targeting countries that buy Russian oil if the Kremlin did not move toward a settlement in Ukraine.
The deadline imposed by the Republican president has since passed however, with Trump set to meet Putin on Friday to discuss bringing an end to the war.
With the summit taking place on US soil, many are questioning whether Putin could be arrested upon landing in America in the coming hours.
The Russian president is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes – meaning he would face arrest upon entry to the likes of the UK, France, Germany, and Canada.
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Trump is meeting Putin on Friday (Kremlin Press Office/Handout/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
However, the US is amongst the countries that does not recognise the ICC rule, suggesting Putin could not actually be arrested upon his entry into the US.
Hamish de Bretton-Gordon told the Sun: “He can roam around the world, in theory, in any countries that are not members of the ICC.
“A warrant from the ICC means nothing in those countries that are not signatories to it.
“And the Americans aren’t, so – he can go to Alaska.
“That is the loophole. He can operate exactly how he sees fit. He wouldn’t have gone anywhere where potentially he could be arrested.”
Despite the unlikely event Putin would be detained, the expert went on to say Putin would have received many assurances from the Trump administration being agreeing to the meeting.
“Trump will have given Putin some cast iron agreement he won’t be arrested for the criminal proceedings against him,” de-Bretton Gordon added.
Putin will be on US soil on Friday (VYACHESLAV PROKOFIEV/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
“President Putin is absolutely fixated about his own security, and his desire not to wander out of friendly airspace.
“There’s not much of that to Alaska – would only be in international airspace for a few miles.”
According to CBS News, the White House is trying to convince European leaders to accept a deal that would see Ukraine give up territory in the regions of Donbas, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia to Russia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has previously dismissed suggestions Ukraine would give up any of its land to bring an end to the war.
“The answer to Ukraine’s territorial question is already in the constitution of Ukraine,” the Ukrainian president said. “No one will and no one can deviate from it. Ukrainians will not give their land to the occupier.”
