WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 21st March, 2023) Moscow intends to return Ukrainian children who were evacuated to Russia due to military activities back to Ukraine when conditions on the ground are safe, Russian Permanent Representative at the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia said on Monday.
"Well when the conditions are safe of course, why not?," Nebenzia told reporters when asked if Russia intends� to return those children.
The issue of children brought to Russia forcefully is "totally overblown," the Russian diplomat noted. Moscow wants to keep them out of danger by removing them from the conflict zone, he added.
The West has accused Russia of conducting forceful deportations of Ukrainian children. Moscow has repeatedly denied the accusations.
On Friday, the Pre-Trial Chamber II of the ICC, the jurisdiction of which is not recognized by Russia, issued a warrant for the arrest of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Presidential Commissioner for Children's Rights Maria Lvova-Belova, citing "unlawful transfer of population (children) from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation."
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the ICC warrants to arrest Putin and Lvova-Belova are legally null and void as Russia is not a party to the Rome Statute and has no obligations under it, nor does it cooperate with the ICC.�
