There is no possibility that the Kremlin will hand up the Russian leader to the International Criminal Court (ICC) because he now holds uncontested control in his native country.
Mr. Putin may be apprehended if he flees the country. But, considering that his freedom of travel is already severely restricted by international sanctions.
After the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, he has only visited eight nations.
Seven of them would be considered by him to be part of Russia's "near abroad"; that is, they were a part of the Soviet Union before to its dissolution at the end of 1991.
Iran, which he visited in July of last year to meet the theocracy's supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, is the only recent location that does not fall under this category.
Since Iran has supported the Russian war effort by supplying drones and other military hardware, Mr. Putin's safety would be unlikely to be jeopardised by a return to Tehran.
There are at least two substantial barriers to that. First, Russia does not recognise the ICC's jurisdiction.
This statute stipulates that each state must exercise its own criminal jurisdiction over persons who commit international crimes.
The International Criminal Court can only intervene when a state is incapable or unwilling to investigate and prosecute the culprits.
In total, 123 states have pledged to abide by it, however there are notable exceptions, such as Russia.
Some nations, like Ukraine, have signed but not ratified the treaty. Below is a complete list of countries that have signed the Rome Statute.