Armenia’s parliament votes to join ICC, tensions in relations with Russia

The Armenian parliament voted on Tuesday to join the International Criminal Court, which indicted Russian President Vladimir Putin for war crimes linked to the deportation of children from Ukraine earlier this year. The move is likely to further strain Armenia’s deteriorating relations with its ally Russia, which last month described Yerevan’s bid to join the ICC as an unfriendly move. Countries that have signed and ratified the Rome Statute that created the ICC are obliged to arrest Putin if he sets foot on their soil. Armenian officials say the effort to join the ICC has nothing to do with Russia and is motivated by Azerbaijan’s aggression against the country.

Armenia’s parliament voted to join the International Criminal Court, straining relations with ally Russia. Moscow last month called Yerevan’s bid to join the ICC an unfriendly move. The Russian Foreign Ministry summoned the Armenian Ambassador regarding this. Countries that have signed the Rome Statute creating the ICC are obliged to arrest Putin. If they set foot on their soil. Putin was indicted by the ICC for war crimes related to the deportation of children from Ukraine.

Armenia’s relations with Russia have deteriorated significantly in recent years. Moscow brokered an agreement in 2020. Which ended the six-week war between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Under this, Yerevan handed over a large part of Nagorno Karabakh and its surrounding area to Baku.