Dmitry Medvedev Warns ICC Signatories that Arresting Russian President Vladimir Putin Is a Declaration of War

• Russia has vowed to declare war against any country that arrests President Vladimir Putin
• This comes after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant compelling 123 signatories to arrest Putin if he steps foot in their country
• Russia's latest threats have drawn international commentary, with some people calling on the ICC not to be hypocritical

MOSCOW - The Russian government is standing behind their President Vladimir Putin after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for the Russian leader.

Russia's former president, Dmitry Medvedev, had a stern warning for countries that wish to exercise the ICC's warrant.

Dmitry Medvedev says arresting Vladimir Putin means war

In a Telegram video, Medvedev warned that any country wishing to follow through with the arrest warrant would be attacked, reports SowetanLIVE.

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Russia, China and the United States of America do not recognise the ICC. However, other countries who recognise the institution are under obligation to arrest Putin for the atrocities seen in Ukraine.

Medvedev gave an example that if Putin visited Germany and got arrested, the country would be attacked with nuclear weapons because the government would have declared war.

"In that case, all our assets – all our missiles, et cetera – would fly to the Bundestag, to the chancellor's office," said Medvedev.

The Deputy Chairman of Russia's Security Council added that the ICC's arrest warrant is meaningless to the country and denies that they have committed war crimes in Ukraine.

ICC responds to Russia's declaration of war threats

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According to The Independent, the ICC recently stated that it's disappointed by Russia's threats after issuing an arrest warrant for Putin.

The ICC also stated it's concerned about Russia's move to issue criminal charges against ICC prosecutor Karim Ahmad Khan and several ICC judges over the arrest warrant.

The Assembly of States Parties, which is the management and oversight legislative body for the ICC, issued a statement saying:

"The presidency of the assembly regrets these attempts to hinder international efforts to ensure accountability for acts that are prohibited under general international law."

Over 123 countries are obligated to apprehend Putin should he step on their soil and transfer him to The Hague in the Netherlands for trial.

Netizens weigh in on Russia's declaration of war threat

@_delphisch_ said:

"It would be nice if Putin was arrested, but there should be no hypocrisy, for example, when will Tony Blair be arrested?"

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@Solomondamilol1 said:

"If he’s bigger than the law maybe Russia should be a continent and he should resign from UN and other bodies. I think someone must be charged with what’s going on in Ukraine."

@ErnestPresident said:

"It's clear that Putin is willing to take drastic measures in order to protect himself from prosecution, demonstrating just how tenuous the current international relations are between Russia and other countries."

Julius Malema says Putin will be protected in South Africa during Brics Summit, Mzansi fears sanctions

Briefly News previously reported that Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema raised eyebrows when he said Russian President Vladimir Putin would be protected during his South African visit in August.

Malema's statement comes after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for the Russian ruler for the invasion of Ukraine.

The Red Berets leader held a press conference on Thursday, 23 March, where he vowed to ensure Putin's safety at the upcoming Brics Summit in a few months.

Source: Briefly News