Vladimir Putin’s go to to Mariupol comes within the week that he was indicted by the International Criminal Court for the trafficking of youngsters to all intents and functions – and comes off the again of his go to to Crimea on Saturday for the ninth anniversary of its unlawful annexation.
This seems to be a present of energy, an opportunity for Putin to point out his viewers again dwelling that he’s undeterred and unfazed by the arrest warrant issued for conflict crimes.
It’s all for the cameras – it is to ship a message again dwelling that not solely is it enterprise as typical for him, however that he can go wherever he needs, together with into mainland Ukraine.
The Russian president has primarily been in Moscow all through this conflict.
He hasn’t gone to the frontlines actually, in distinction to Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian president, who typically goes to the frontline to spice up the morale of his troops.
Mariupol is critical for Russia as a result of it is the one massive metropolis they maintain in mainland Ukraine – it is their solely actual “victory” on this conflict of attrition.
Mariupol was additionally the scene of horrible preventing this time final yr, and there are an terrible lot of allegations of conflict crimes there that Putin could effectively should reply to in future as effectively.
This conflict is grinding on, and all indicators from each side are that it may go on for a very long time.
But Ukraine has been decided to take again Mariupol for the reason that day they misplaced it to Russian forces, and they’re displaying no indicators of giving up that hope.
Read extra:
Arrest warrant issued for Putin over alleged conflict crimes
What the arrest warrant actually means for the Russian chief
How steelworks changed into the ultimate outpost within the brutal battle for Mariupol
And whereas folks right here might be disturbed by what they see, waking as much as these footage of Putin strolling round Mariupol, you would argue there may be not a lot Putin does that surprises them any extra – it is the kind of factor they may anticipate from him.
I do not assume it makes a lot distinction to them anyway: the nation stays united, they hate the conflict, however they continue to be decided to maintain preventing.
And President Putin turning up in occupied territory in Ukraine is just not going to alter that, if something it would in all probability make them extra decided that he by no means will get to do it in future once more.
Source: information.sky.com”
