US remains a rare safe haven for Vladimir Putin

To prevent the world's highest criminal court from being used to prosecute Americans, the US has long refused to join the ICC, created over 20 years ago under the 1998 Rome Statute to handle accusations of crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide. As a result, the US is virtually the only country in the West that Putin can visit without worrying about arrest. Only a handful of other major powers, including China, India, Russia and Israel, have abstained from becoming signatories to the court.