Putin Visits Occupied City of Mariupol in Show of Defiance Despite International Criticism

Russian President Vladimir Putin made a surprise visit to the occupied city of Mariupol in southeastern Ukraine on Sunday, in his first trip to Ukrainian territory since Moscow illegally annexed the region in September. The Kremlin said in a statement that Putin flew into the port city by helicopter and “traveled around several districts of the city,” meeting several residents and going into one family’s home after they invited him in.

Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin said in a separate post on his Telegram channel that Putin “personally inspected one of the residential areas, the building of the Philharmonic Society and assessed the roads, driving a car around the city.” The visit comes days after the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for Putin’s arrest.

The visit has been met with bitter reactions from Ukrainian officials, who liken the trip to a criminal returning to the scene of the crime. Roman Koval, 25, a surgery intern, expressed his negative opinion of the visit to CNN. “I think he is afraid to come to Ukrainian territory. He has no support. My reaction is as negative as possible. He can’t do it like our people. He can’t do things like our President Zelensky. PR to show that they stand in some kind of position, but in fact, they are nobody, and they are weak.”

The visit has been widely seen as a show of defiance by Putin, who has been accused of violating international law by annexing the region. The Kremlin has yet to comment on the criticism of the visit. It remains to be seen how the international community will respond to Putin’s visit and whether it will have any lasting implications for the region.