US President Joe Biden says the arrest warrant is "justified" and an important marker. At the same time, however, he points out that the United States is not a member of the ICC. The EU describes the order as "just the beginning" and the UK also welcomes the court's decision.
Scores of suspected Russian war crimes and human rights violations are being investigated in the war. This case is about the mass displacement of Ukrainian children to Russia.
The arrest warrant means the Russian president could be arrested if he sets foot in any of the 123 countries affiliated with the ICC.
"Delicate history" in South Africa
According to international law professor Mark Klamberg, a "delicate story" could emerge this summer when Putin is expected to attend a summit in South Africa, which is part of the ICC.
"They'll be in a pickle in August. They want to host the summit, but on the other hand, they probably want to show that they are complying with the court's request for the arrest warrant.
According to Klamberg, however, South Africa's government has previously refused to arrest people wanted by the ICC.
ICC prosecutor Karim Khan recently visited an orphanage in Ukraine where there were no longer any children, but only empty cradles and beds. He wants to believe that at some point it will be possible to bring russia's president to justice.
"Look at Milosevic"
"Look at Milosevic, Karadzic, Mladic or Charles Taylor," he says, referring to convicted war criminals from the former Yugoslavia and Liberia.
Neither Russia, the United States nor Ukraine are members of the ICC, but at an early stage of the war, Ukraine let court investigators into the country to investigate suspected crimes. Then the court was also given jurisdiction on Ukrainian soil.
In Kiev, arrest warrants are welcomed, while the U.S. has an infected relationship with the ICC.
As prosecutors in The Hague sought to investigate war crimes in Afghanistan, the U.S. has responded with sanctions against them. Congress has also passed laws to protect U.S. servicemen from international legal proceedings.
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Listen to SVT's foreign affairs reporter Carl Fridh Kleberg explain the significance of the ICC's arrest warrant against Russian President Vladimir Putin. Photo: SVT/TT/AP