Russian President Putin arrives in Kyrgyzstan on a rare trip abroad

Associated Press: Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Kyrgyzstan for a rare overseas visit amidst his indictment by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes in Ukraine. During his stay, Putin is scheduled to participate in the Commonwealth of Independent States summit with leaders from several Central Asian countries, though Armenia’s Prime Minister will abstain due to strained relations with Moscow. This trip marks Putin’s first venture outside of Russia and its occupied territories in Ukraine this year. The ICC’s arrest warrant, issued in March, obligated member nations of the Rome Statute to detain Putin, influencing his decision to avoid certain international events. Despite this, Russia disavows the ICC’s jurisdiction. Notably, Kyrgyzstan has not signed the Rome Statute. Putin’s travels last year included multiple Central Asian countries, Armenia, Belarus, China, India, and Iran. He is anticipated to visit China soon and has an open invitation to North Korea.

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