Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has warned that any attempt to arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin abroad would be seen by Moscow as a ‘declaration of war’ in light of the arrest warrant issued last week by the International Criminal Court.
Medvedev said, “Let’s imagine – it is clear that this is a situation that will never happen – but let’s imagine it happening. If the current head of a nuclear state were arrested, for example, when he arrived on the territory of Germany. What would that be? A declaration of war on Russia,” he said.
“If this happens, all our means, rockets and others, will fly towards the German Parliament and the Chancellery,” Medvedev, known for his tough statements, added.
The ICC has issued arrest warrants against Putin and Russian Presidential Commissioner for Children’s Rights Maria Lvova-Belova for war crimes committed by smuggling Ukrainian children into Russia.
Medvedev also recently threatened the ICC with a missile attack, saying, “Take a good look at the sky.”
Russia, which does not recognize the ICC’s jurisdiction, described the arrest warrant against Putin as ‘legally invalid’.
