Ukraine's Zelenskiy Visits War Crimes Court in The Hague

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. AP
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. AP
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Ukraine's Zelenskiy Visits War Crimes Court in The Hague

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. AP
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. AP

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Thursday visited the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, which in March issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin for suspected deportation of children from Ukraine.

Zelenskiy, dressed in his trademark khaki, was welcomed at the court by its president, judge Piotr Hofmanski.

Russia, which is not a member of the ICC and rejects its jurisdiction, denies committing atrocities during its conflict with Ukraine, which it terms a "special military operation".

In his first official trip to the country, Zelenskiy was due to deliver a speech later in the morning, also in The Hague, titled "No Peace Without Justice for Ukraine".

The Ukrainian leader has visited several foreign capitals including London, Paris and Washington since Russia's 2022 invasion.

The Netherlands has been a strong supporter of Ukraine, with Rutte in February saying he did not rule out any kind of military support for Kyiv as long as it did not bring NATO into conflict with Russia.

Zelenskiy, who met with Dutch lawmakers earlier in the day, will also have meetings with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo.

European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said in February that an international center for the prosecution of the crime of aggression in Ukraine would be set up in The Hague.

The ICC can prosecute genocide in Ukraine but has no jurisdiction over alleged crimes of aggression by Russia there.

An act of aggression is defined by the United Nations as the "invasion or attack by the armed forces of a state (on) the territory of another state, or any military occupation".



Netanyahu Expected to Talk Tariffs with Trump in Washington on Monday, Officials Say

US President Donald Trump welcomes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the entrance of the White House in Washington, US, February 4, 2025. REUTERS/Leah Millis/File photo
US President Donald Trump welcomes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the entrance of the White House in Washington, US, February 4, 2025. REUTERS/Leah Millis/File photo
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Netanyahu Expected to Talk Tariffs with Trump in Washington on Monday, Officials Say

US President Donald Trump welcomes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the entrance of the White House in Washington, US, February 4, 2025. REUTERS/Leah Millis/File photo
US President Donald Trump welcomes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the entrance of the White House in Washington, US, February 4, 2025. REUTERS/Leah Millis/File photo

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to visit the White House on Monday to discuss recently announced tariffs with US President Donald Trump, three Israeli officials said on Saturday.

The impromptu visit was first reported by Axios, which said that if the visit takes place, the Israeli leader would be the first foreign leader to meet with Trump in person to try to negotiate a deal to remove tariffs.

Netanyahu's office has not confirmed the visit, that would likely also include discussions on Iran and Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza.

The surprise invite by Trump came in a phone-call on Thursday with Netanyahu, who is presently on a visit to Hungary, when the Israeli leader raised the tariff issue, according to the Israeli officials who spoke on condition of anonymity, Reuters reported.

As part of a sweeping new tariff policy announced by Trump, unspecified Israeli goods exports to the United States face a 17% tariff. The US is Israel's closest ally and largest single trading partner.

An Israeli finance ministry official said on Thursday that Trump's latest tariff announcement could impact Israel's exports of machinery and medical equipment.

Israel had already moved to cancel its remaining tariffs on US imports on Tuesday. The two countries signed a free trade agreement 40 years ago and about 98% of goods from the US are now tax-free.