Russian President Putin visits occupied city of Mariupol

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

27 minutes ago

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin has visited the occupied port city of Mariupol, Russian state news agencies reported Sunday, his first trip to the Ukrainian territory that Moscow illegally annexed in September.

Earlier, on Saturday, Putin traveled to Crimea, a short distance southwest of Mariupol, to mark the ninth anniversary of the Black Sea peninsula’s annexation from Ukraine. Mariupol became a worldwide symbol of defiance after outgunned and outmanned Ukrainian forces held out in a steel mill there for nearly three months before Moscow finally took control of it in May.

The visits, during which he was shown chatting with local residents in Mariupol and visiting an art school and a children’s center in Crimea, were a show of defiance by the Russian leader two days after a court issued a warrant for his arrest on war crimes charges. Putin has not commented on the arrest warrant, which deepened his international isolation despite the unlikelihood of him facing trial anytime soon.

The trip also came ahead of a planned visit to Moscow by Chinese President Xi Jinping this week, expected to provide a major diplomatic boost to Putin in his confrontation with the West.



Read more: https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-5482b8f62cc70efbdbeb0b3f492c0393

[oldsoftie]

1. imagine if a local could've taken him out. nt

[Ligyron]

2. Oh, of course, Biden travels to Ukraine, then copy cat Putin travels to Ukraine.

See, I'm as brave as you...oh wait, you went to an active war zone under attack, I played it safe and came to an area under our control for years that wasn't.

According to Putin's own declarations, he never left his own country even.

Coward.

[former9thward]

14. Putin was just in Ukraine a few months ago.

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/putin-drives-across-crimea-bridge-mercedes-2022-12-05/

Nothing to do with Biden. Kyiv was not under attack. The U.S. told Russia about Biden's visit beforehand to make sure it would not be.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

3. Putinkin village: Looks like a freshly constructed building, unlike the rest of Mariupol

I can only see the one photo you posted (article won't show them to me, prob because of my setup).

Variation of Potemkin village.

[CanonRay]

7. We really don't know when or where that photo was taken

do we.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

19. CBC News confirms it is a freshly built building. . . . nt

[Mysterian]

4. I hope we can give Ukraine a daisy-cutter

For the next time this evil POS shows his face.

[Novara]

5. There's an international arrest warrant out for him. Arrest him.

[sheepfarm]

6. Body double, anyone?

Weird how a known germophobe whom in the last three plus years refuses to be seen sitting near anyone within 30 yards of him, is also known to be utterly paranoid of being assassinated & whom doesn't travel anywhere except in a bullet-proof train, suddenly turns up to meet "residents" with no obvious security service present? Not to mention that getting to Mariupol & Crimea in the current circumstances from most of Russia would be a major security risk, yet he drove himself around after he landed in Mariupol? I smell a rat!

Doesn't help that he didn't do any public speeches or speak to any reporters.

I'm not the only one...

Link to tweet

Anton Gerashchenko @Gerashchenko_en

Two photos: "Putin" at his Security Council and "Putin" in Mariupol.

Is he scared of his officials more than of Mariupol's "residents"?

[tornado34jh]

8. I could be wrong on this

But as far as I know of, I don't think Ukraine has an extradition treaty with the Netherlands. Also, Ukraine is not a signatory of the Rome Statute to the ICC, so even if Putin was there, I am not sure what they could do. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely think he should be arrested, but I am not sure how the whole process would work.

[Bayard]

10. Citizen's arrest then

Catch, and do NOT release.

[former9thward]

11. What citizen is going to do that?

Since you are volunteering them. Will you do it?

[Bayard]

17. Sure

Will you go help me?

[former9thward]

18. No.

I don't engage in fantasy.

[Bayard]

22. Or, optimism

There are so many people that want Putin taken out, I can't believe he's lasted this long. I suspect, at this point, it will be one of his inner circle that actually cares about their country.

[tornado34jh]

12. I'm not sure how Ukrainian criminal proceedings go

I am not familiar with Ukrainian law, but to be honest, I don't think it is just Ukraine who wants to arrest him. I will probably bet you Georgia wants to do the same, or at least, many people in Georgia want to anyway. However, I don't see who will risk doing a citizen's arrest of Putin, since even if he went to Ukraine, it probably would stay in the occupied territories.

[paleotn]

9. Doing a Biden.

[onetexan]

20. THIS!!☝️

[ificandream]

13. Why are these Ukranians (if they are) smiling?

I suspect these aren't Ukranians at all. This is phony.

[tavernier]

15. They're smiling because that's not Putin.

Dupe.

[ificandream]

16. Yeah, this "Putin" looks healthier than other pics I've seen.

[Xolodno]

23. Because some Ukrainians would actually prefer to be ruled by Moscow...

...instead of Kyiv.

There is a lot of sympathizers with Russia and they distrust the west. The eastern and southern part of Ukraine voted heavily for pro Russia candidates instead of pro West the last time around.

This isn't cut and dry as we are being told.

[trof]

21. Unless Putin is in very poor health...

That's NOT Putin.