According to a report from the Russian state news agency TASS on Saturday, Russia has filed criminal charges against Ukrainian President Zelensky and placed him on a wanted list. However, Ukraine has rejected this as a “desperate” move by Moscow.
The TASS report indicated that the name of Volodymyr Zelensky appeared on the wanted list in the Russian Interior Ministry database, but no further details were provided. Russian officials have not immediately commented on the reasons for adding the Ukrainian president to the list.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry pointed out that Russian President Vladimir Putin himself is subject to arrest under an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
In a statement, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said, “We would like to remind everyone that unlike the valueless statements from Russia, the arrest warrant for Russian dictator Vladimir Putin on charges of war crimes is real and will be enforced in 123 countries.”
The statement labeled Russia’s announcement as “evidence of the desperation of the Russian state machinery and propaganda as they cannot come up with any other way to attract attention.”
Since the conflict erupted with Ukraine in February 2022, Russia has issued arrest warrants for several Ukrainian and other European politicians.
On the second day of the invasion of Ukraine, Russian President Putin addressed the nation, urging the Ukrainian military to overthrow Zelensky.
Last year, the Ukrainian president revealed that he was aware of at least “five to six” assassination attempts against him that had been thwarted.
In February, Russian police added Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, Lithuanian Minister of Culture, and a former Latvian parliament member to the wanted list, citing their involvement in destroying monuments from the Soviet era.
On May 27, 2023, US Senator Lindsey Graham met with Zelensky in Kyiv to express support for Ukraine. As a result, Russia’s Interior Ministry included Graham on the wanted list without specifying any charges against him.
Graham responded, stating, “I will wear Putin’s arrest warrant for corruption and the immoral government as a badge of honor.”
Russia also issued an arrest warrant for the International Criminal Court prosecutor who prepared a war crimes arrest warrant for Putin last year.
The ICC ordered the arrest of Putin last year on charges related to war crimes involving the abduction of Ukrainian children, which Moscow has denied.