Putin faces trial or death by own associates – Zelenskyy

Russian dictator Vladimir Putin faces a stark choice: either facing trial at The Hague or meeting his demise at the hands of his own associates, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said at the Munich Security Conference on Feb. 17.

“One can have a different attitude towards international institutions, but the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court against Putin for the abduction and forced deportation of children from Ukraine clearly shows where Putin’s career should end,” he said noting that Putin’s years of self-isolation and impunity have led to his complete degradation.

“He is now openly justifying Hitler, saying that he is not to blame for World War II. He has made the genocide of people a normal part of his policy.”

Zelenskyy noted that Putin kills whomever he wants: whether it is an opposition leader or anyone who seems to be a target.

Read also: Russia claims death of jailed opposition figure Alexei Navalny

After the assassination of Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny in prison, it would be absurd to perceive Putin as a legitimate leader of the country.

“He is a thug who clings to power through corruption and violence,” said Zelenskyy.

“To come to his so-called inauguration, to shake his hand, to perceive him as an equal would be a contempt for the nature of political power.”

Russian authorities announced the death of 47-year-old Kremlin’s critic Alexei Navalny in the IK-3 penal colony on Feb. 16. The politician spent the last three years in prison. He was arrested immediately after returning to Russia from Germany in January 2021. Since the end of 2023, he had been serving his sentence in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug in the Russian Far North.

The politician spent the last three years in prison. He was detained in January 2021, immediately after returning to Russia from Germany, where he was being treated for Novichok poisoning. A Russian court sentenced him to 19 years in prison.

Read also: Zelenskyy warns Russia’s potential to escalate local conflicts into global catastrophes

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine