Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court for genocide and war crimes, yesterday asked Russia’s Vladimir Putin to protect his country from the United States. Speaking during his first visit to Russia as president, Bashir also said he wanted to ramp up military ties and praised Moscow’s military campaign in Syria. “We have been dreaming about this visit for a long time,” the Sudanese president told Putin at the Black Sea resort of Sochi. “We are thankful to Russia for its position on the international arena, including Russia’s position in the protection of Sudan. We are in need of protection from the aggressive acts of the United States.”