Putin and Xi Jinping herald a "new era" in Russia-China relations as ICC charges Putin with crimes in office

Apr 17, 2025PoliticsRussia & EurasiaNew York Edition

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Dmitry Peskov had earlier stated that Putin and Xi Jinping, the Chinese President, were set to sign a declaration that marked the dawn of a "new era" in Russo-Chinese relations.
However, the events that followed this announcement are best described as a scene of complete strangers embracing each other joyfully, with their laughter echoing throughout the civilized world.
Bill Browder, the financier and anti-corruption campaigner, himself acknowledged the concept of karma, and a collective cheer of delight could be heard all around.

Putin and Xi Jinping herald a "new era" in Russia-China relations as ICC charges Putin with crimes in office

Putin faces charges at International Court of Justice

In a manner akin to the ubiquitous presence of party members in China's communist regime, Russian President Vladimir Putin has been charged by the International Court of Justice (ICC) for crimes committed during his time in office, making him the first European leader and only the fourth top leader to face such charges. Dmitry Peskov had earlier stated that Putin and Xi Jinping, the Chinese President, were set to sign a declaration that marked the dawn of a "new era" in Russo-Chinese relations. However, the events that followed this announcement are best described as a scene of complete strangers embracing each other joyfully, with their laughter echoing throughout the civilized world. Bill Browder, the financier and anti-corruption campaigner, himself acknowledged the concept of karma, and a collective cheer of delight could be heard all around. Even the security personnel joined in on the festivities, breaking out in a spontaneous rendition of Gangnam Style. The question remains, what could have triggered such a jubilant response?

It is worth examining the outcomes for other heads of state who faced ICC accusations, including Omar al-Bashir, the former President of Sudan; Muammar Gaddafi, the late Libyan leader; and Laurent Gbagbo, the former President of Côte d'Ivoire. Al-Bashir was charged with genocide, yet managed to remain in power for the next 11 years. Gaddafi, on the other hand, did not live to see the trial as he was killed by the rebels. Gbagbo was accused of committing crimes against humanity but was acquitted . It should be noted that in addition to the ICC, there are also special military tribunals in the international criminal justice system. Although there have been eight such tribunals in recent history, only two international tribunals exist for Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia. In the last trial, former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milošević was accused, but he died in prison in The Hague before the verdict was reached. As for Putin, a special military tribunal is currently being created for him, akin to the eight most terrifying words in the Russian language: "I'm from Lubyanka, and I'm here to help."