Ukraine Summit: Putin Could Receive Immunity in Vienna

The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has suggested neutral Austria as a possible location for a summit meeting with Russia's head of state Vladimir Putin. Given an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court, Putin would actually have to be arrested upon entering Austria. However, the Austrian Foreign Ministry sees a possibility to guarantee him immunity from prosecution in such a case.

Vienna as a Neutral Negotiation Venue

"As the host country of several international organizations, including the OSCE, Austria has long-standing experience in hosting international meetings and promoting dialogue and is ready to serve as a venue and mediator for possible peace talks, should this be desired," a spokeswoman for the Foreign Ministry explained to the APA on Thursday.

Headquarters Agreement as Legal Basis

Austria is indeed a party to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, and all parties are fundamentally obliged to execute its arrest warrants, she explained. However, there is the possibility, based on headquarters agreements with international organizations in Vienna, to contact the court to enable Putin's participation in peace negotiations. The provisions in the headquarters agreements that provide immunities for participants in conferences within the framework of the respective international organization would apply.

Putin has been on a wanted list of the International Criminal Court in The Hague since March 2023. He is accused of being responsible for the illegal deportation of children from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation, thereby committing a war crime. Russia itself is not a party to the Rome Statute and has repeatedly dismissed the International Criminal Court as insignificant.

Mongolia Refrained from Arresting Putin in 2024

Since the issuance of the arrest warrant, the Russian President has officially visited only once a participant state of the International Criminal Court, Mongolia, where he should have been arrested. However, the Asian neighboring country of Russia refrained from such a step in September 2024 and was subsequently reprimanded by the Criminal Court for this non-cooperation.

(APA/Red)

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