Putin
Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks on the phone in his office in Saint Petersburg, Russia, on December 15, 2018.
  • A defiant Putin has begun a tour of occupied areas of Ukraine, stopping in Crimea and Mariupol.
  • The Russian leader visited besieged areas that have faced widespread casualties since the invasion began.
  • The trip comes after the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for his arrest for war crimes.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has begun a macabre tour of occupied Ukraine, two days after the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for his arrest for war crimes related to Russia's invasion of the country.