Putin visits Mariupol: Unfazed by arrest warrant, Russian president’s trip to Ukraine is all for the cameras | World News

Vladimir Putin’s visit to Mariupol comes the week he was indicted by the International Criminal Court on charges of trafficking in children with all intents and purposes – and follows his visit to Crimea on Saturday on the occasion of 9th anniversary of this illegal merger.

This seems to be a show of strength, an opportunity for Putin to show the audience back home that he was undeterred and flustered at first arrest warrant issued for war crimes.

It’s all because of the cameras – it’s to send a message home that it’s not just normal business for him but that he can go anywhere he wants, including into mainland Ukraine.

The Russian president was mainly in Moscow during this war.

He didn’t actually go to the front lines, as opposed to Volodymyr ZelenskyyPresident of Ukraine, who often goes to the front line to boost the morale of his soldiers.

Mariupol is significant to Russia as it is the only major city they hold in mainland Ukraine – it is their only real “victory” in this war of attrition.

Mariupol was also the site of terrible fighting this time last year, and there are plenty of war crimes allegations there that Putin may also have to answer in the future.

This fight is raging and all signs from both sides suggest it could go on for a long time.

But Ukraine has been determined to get Mariupol back since the day they lost it to Russian forces, and they show no sign of giving up that hope.

Read more:
Issue arrest warrant for Putin on war crimes charges
What the arrest warrant really means for the Russian leader
How the steel mills turned into the last outpost in the brutal battle for Mariupol

And while people here will be annoyed by what they see, waking up with pictures of Putin walking around Mariupol, you could argue there’s not much Putin does that surprises them anymore – that was the kind of thing they could expect from him.

Anyway, I don’t think it will make much difference to them: the country is still united, they hate war, but they are determined to keep fighting.

And President Putin’s presence in occupied Ukraine won’t change that, if it does, it will probably make them even more determined that he will never do it again in the future. future.