As Russian President Vladimir Putin prepares to touch down in the United States for a highly anticipated meeting with former President Donald Trump, speculation is swirling over whether he could face arrest the moment he steps onto American soil.
The summit — scheduled for Friday, August 15, in Alaska — comes after Trump, now back in the White House, previously warned the Kremlin of “serious consequences” if Russia did not make progress toward ending its war in Ukraine. Trump had threatened to impose new sanctions and secondary tariffs targeting nations that purchase Russian oil. That deadline has now passed without an agreement, prompting this direct face-to-face between the two leaders.
The ICC Arrest Warrant
Putin is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on war crimes charges related to the invasion of Ukraine. The warrant means that, in theory, he could be detained if he entered any of the court’s 124 member states — including the UK, France, Germany, and Canada.
However, the United States is not among those countries. Washington has never ratified the Rome Statute that established the ICC, meaning it does not recognise the court’s jurisdiction.
Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, a security and defence expert, told The Sun:
“He can roam around the world, in theory, in any countries that are not members of the ICC.
A warrant from the ICC means nothing in those countries that are not signatories to it.
And the Americans aren’t, so — he can go to Alaska. That is the loophole. He can operate exactly how he sees fit. He wouldn’t have gone anywhere where potentially he could be arrested.”
Security Assurances and Strategic Travel
De Bretton-Gordon added that Putin’s decision to meet Trump in Alaska likely came with “cast iron” guarantees from the U.S. administration that he would not be detained.
“President Putin is absolutely fixated about his own security,” he said. “There’s not much [international airspace] to Alaska — only a few miles — so he stays within friendly skies almost the entire time.”
Putin’s caution when traveling abroad has been well-documented, with the Kremlin leader rarely venturing to places where extradition or arrest could be a risk. His choice of Alaska as a meeting location appears calculated to minimize exposure while still allowing for a high-profile diplomatic engagement.
Behind the Scenes: Possible Ukraine Deal
According to CBS News, the White House is reportedly working to persuade European allies to accept a controversial peace proposal. The deal would see Ukraine cede control of the Donbas, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions to Russia in exchange for an end to hostilities.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has firmly rejected the idea.
“The answer to Ukraine’s territorial question is already in the constitution of Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said. “No one will and no one can deviate from it. Ukrainians will not give their land to the occupier.”
The Alaska summit is expected to be dominated by discussions over the war’s future, though the optics of a U.S. president hosting a world leader wanted for war crimes will also be closely watched around the globe.
For now, experts say that — legal or not — the likelihood of Putin being arrested in the United States is effectively zero. But the political and diplomatic consequences of this meeting could be far-reaching.