LOC19:28
16:28 GMT
BERLIN, March 18 (KUNA) -- German Chancellor Olaf Scholz welcomed on Saturday an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) to bring to justice Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying it showed that "nobody is above the law."
German media quoted the chancellor, currently on a mission in Japan, as saying, "The International Criminal Court is the right institution to investigate war crimes ... The fact is that nobody is above the law and that's what's becoming clear right now."
Scholz was speaking at a joint news conference in Tokyo with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
The Deutsche Press Agency (DPA) quoted chancellor Scholz as appealing to Chinese President Xi Jinping to clarify to Putin necessity of ending the war in Ukraine.
This war will not stop unless Russia pull its forces out of all Ukrainian territories, he said.
He expressed his belief that the Chinese president, due in Moscow on Monday, would make mediation efforts for reconciliation between Russia and Ukraine.
The ICC on Friday issued an arrest warrant against Putin on suspicion of unlawful deportation of children and unlawful transfer of people from Ukraine to Russia since Moscow launched its invasion of the neighbouring nation last year.
Beijing had declared a plan for ending the conflict, urging an end to Western sanctions against Russia and calling for guarantees for nations' sovereignty. (end)
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