Dmitry Medvedev: Putin arrest attempt would be declaration of war on Russia
Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev says that any attempts to arrest Vladimir Putin would amount to a declaration of war on Russia.
Any attempt to arrest Vladimir Putin would amount to a declaration of war on Russia, his ally Dmitry Medvedev has claimed.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an arrest warrant for the Russian president and accused him of committing the war crime of illegally deporting hundreds of children from Ukraine.
Former president Medvedev has told Russian media that the ICC - which is not recognised by Moscow - was a "legal nonentity" that had never done anything significant.
The politician, who serves as deputy chairman of Putin's powerful security council, said in a video posted on Telegram: "Let's imagine - obviously this situation which will never be realised - but nevertheless let's imagine that it was realised: The current head of the nuclear state went to a territory, say Germany, and was arrested.
"What would that be? It would be a declaration of war on the Russian Federation. And in that case, all our assets - all our missiles et cetera - would fly to the Bundestag, to the Chancellor's office."
Medvedev also warned the Western nations supplying Ukraine with weapons for the war are bringing the world nearer to "nuclear apocalypse".
He said: "Every day's delivery of foreign weapons to Ukraine brings closer to the nuclear apocalypse."
