The place might it happen? : NPR

President Trump mentioned his assembly with Russian President Vladimir Putin to debate an finish to the struggle in Ukraine is about to occur “very shortly” at a date and site that Trump mentioned he would announce “just a little bit later” on Friday.

When — and, most critically, the place — these talks might occur continues to be unclear. However discovering impartial territory for these negotiations could also be tough as Putin faces the specter of arrest from the Worldwide Prison Courtroom (ICC).

In 2023, the ICC within the Hague issued an arrest warrant for Putin on struggle crime prices. This now limits the choices for the place Trump and Putin can meet because the Russian president faces potential arrest in any of the greater than 120 ICC member international locations.

A normal view of the outside of the Worldwide Prison Courtroom in The Hague, Netherlands, March 12, 2025.

Omar Havana/AP/AP

conceal caption

toggle caption

Omar Havana/AP/AP

What’s the ICC and why can it situation arrest warrants?

In response to the necessity for a everlasting worldwide courtroom addressing crimes dedicated throughout struggle, the Worldwide Prison Courtroom (ICC), which relies in The Hague, Netherlands, formally started working in July 2002.

Since 1999, 125 international locations have signed onto the Rome Statute, establishing the worldwide courtroom. Neither the U.S. or Russia are member states. Ukraine turned a member in 2024.

The ICC has authority to pursue felony prices, however solely on probably the most severe crimes: genocide, crimes towards humanity, struggle crimes and the crime of aggression.

The courtroom does not have its personal police pressure or enforcement physique, so it depends on international locations’ cooperation to make arrests, switch arrested folks to ICC detention in The Hague and to implement sentences.

The ICC issued an arrest warrant for Putin two years in the past over alleged struggle crimes tied to allegations Russia has forcibly kidnapped Ukrainian youngsters to Russia. The ICC additionally issued a warrant on the time for Putin’s commissioner for kids’s rights, Maria Lvova-Belova.

Russian officers have not denied the arrival of Ukrainian youngsters within the nation, however have characterised their arrival as a part of a humanitarian program for deserted, war-traumatized orphans.

Putin is not the one sitting head of state to face such severe prices from the ICC. Final November, the worldwide courtroom issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for alleged struggle crimes and crimes towards humanity within the Gaza Strip. The courtroom additionally issued warrants for Yoav Gallant, Israel’s former protection minister, Muhammad Deif, Hamas’ navy chief whom Israel says it killed in August, in addition to different Hamas officers.

Israel contested the allegations towards Netanyahu and Gallant.

‘Russians do not care concerning the ICC’

Critics and authorities leaders have repeatedly questioned the ability and authority of the ICC.

“Russians do not care concerning the ICC,” mentioned Nina Khrushcheva, a world affairs professor for The New College in New York, particularly due to the notion that the U.S. has been hypocritical relating to the courtroom.

When the ICC filed arrest warrants towards Netanyahu, then-President Joe Biden launched an announcement that mentioned, “The ICC issuance of arrest warrants towards Israeli leaders is outrageous. Let me be clear as soon as once more: regardless of the ICC would possibly suggest, there isn’t any equivalence — none — between Israel and Hamas. We’ll all the time stand with Israel towards threats to its safety.”

However when the ICC issued a warrant towards Putin, the response from the U.S. was extra supportive of the worldwide physique. On the time, White Home Nationwide Safety Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson advised NPR, “There isn’t a doubt that Russia is committing struggle crimes and atrocities in Ukraine, and we’ve been clear that these accountable should be held accountable. The ICC prosecutor is an impartial actor and makes his personal prosecutorial choices based mostly on the proof earlier than him. We assist accountability for perpetrators of struggle crimes.”

Khrushcheva mentioned, “So for Putin, it is yet one more affirmation for him that the West is pretty hypocritical, and so he does not take note of it.”

Again in September, Putin traveled to Mongolia, an ICC member since 2002. The journey went easily, and Putin was by no means taken into custody.

The view of the courtroom is that, as a member state, Mongolia had an obligation to honor the ICC’s arrest warrant, in accordance with David Bosco, professor at Indiana College, who spoke to NPR’s All Issues Thought of final 12 months.

However, Bosco mentioned, “Mongolia can be located proper between Russia and China — two international locations that it has monumental financial linkages with. And neither of these international locations is a member of the ICC. Neither of them are pleasant to the ICC. And Mongolia clearly determined that its financial and diplomatic pursuits outweighed its authorized obligations as a courtroom member.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and U.S. President Donald Trump’s particular envoy Steve Witkoff, proper, shake fingers throughout their assembly on the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025.

Gavriil Grigorov/AP/Pool Sputnik Kremlin

conceal caption

toggle caption

Gavriil Grigorov/AP/Pool Sputnik Kremlin

What are the leaders’ choices?

Whereas specialists and analysts have lengthy mentioned the prospect of an arrest of Putin is extraordinarily slim, it is unlikely that the Russian chief would take the prospect and maintain such a big assembly on unfriendly floor, Khrushcheva mentioned.

So this nonetheless possible guidelines out lots of the 125 international locations listed as ICC members. This leaves technically about 70 nations nonetheless accessible, however fewer nonetheless are pleasant to each Russia and the U.S.

Khrushcheva says the Center East appears to be probably the most promising for each side to satisfy, given each Russia and the U.S. have good relations with a number of international locations there.

“Both the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia … Turkey are all potential choices,” she mentioned.

That is made much more possible because of the truth prior talks between Russia and Ukraine have been beforehand held in Saudi Arabia and Turkey.

Many countries within the Center East have “raised their standing fairly a bit,” as a result of they’ve held these impartial grounds for negotiation, Khrushcheva mentioned.

And the Center East has performed an more and more massive function in internet hosting high-stakes worldwide negotiations. The small, rich Arab Gulf nation of Qatar, additionally a U.S. ally, served as the house for delicate negotiations between Israel and Hamas, for the reason that struggle in Gaza started in October 2023. Egypt additionally performed a vital function in mediating that battle.