The Rome Statute which established the ICC 1998 recognizes forced deportation as a crime. Russia, which was originally a signatory of the Rome statute in 1998, withdrew its support in 2016 because it didn’t recognize the court’s jurisdiction.
Although Putin is unlikely to be arrested, it does not mean that the ICC can arrest suspects without the consent of a country. This move also limits the Russian dictator’s international travel. If he attempts to enter any of the 123 signatory countries of the ICC, he may be arrested.
The US President Joe Biden praised the issuing the warrant for arrest and said that while the court doesn’t hold any power in the US, it “makes an extremely strong point” towards Putin. He has clearly committed war crimes,” stated in a statement to journalists.
Ben Emmerson was also positive about the warrant, as he is the lead lawyer for the government in Ukraine. Sky News spoke with him and he stated that was “clearly the first shot in what may be a much larger indictment against President Putin.”