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17 March 2023: ICC warrant and Hungary's NATO vote date
Summary
A look back at a day when the International Criminal Court targeted Russia's president and Hungary set a date on Finland's NATO bid.
What did 17 March 2023 change for Russia's war and for NATO's enlargement? Two announcements, in The Hague and in Hungary, gave the answer.
The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Russian president Vladimir Putin. It also named Maria Lvova-Belova, presidential commissioner for children's rights. The warrants concern alleged war crimes involving the abduction and forced adoption of children from Ukraine.
Hungary sets a date for Finland
The same day, Hungary announced that a vote on Finland's NATO membership application would take place on 27 March. Máté Kocsis, the Fidesz parliamentary group leader, said that Sweden's application would be considered at a later date.
The statement separated the two Nordic applicants, giving Finland a scheduled vote while leaving Sweden's without one.
Together, the announcements marked a day of legal and diplomatic developments tied to the war in Ukraine and to the alliance's expansion.
