Ukraine updates: Medvedev says Putin arrest would be 'war'

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Ukraine updates: Medvedev says Putin arrest would be 'war'

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said that if Putin were arrested in Germany, for example, "all our missiles ... would fly to the Bundestag." Russia has also launched a new military satellite. DW has the latest.


Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has warned that any attempt to arrest Vladimir Putin abroad would be seen as "a declaration of war."

The International Criminal Court (ICC), based in The Hague, issued an arrest warrant for Putin last week for war crimes.

"Let's imagine — obviously this situation which will never be realized — but nevertheless lets imagine that it was realized: The current head of the nuclear state went to a territory, say Germany, and was arrested," Medvedev said in a video posted to Telegram late on Wednesday.

"What would that be? It would be a declaration of war on the Russian Federation," he said. "And, in that case, all our assets — all our missiles etc. — would fly to the Bundestag, to the chancellor's office."

Medvedev, who served as Russia's president from 2008 until 2012 and is now deputy chairman of the country's Security Council, has made increasingly hawkish statements about the invasion of Ukraine.

Russia, which is not a party to the ICC, initially called the arrest warrant "null and void."

On Monday, Russia's Investigative Committee opened its criminal investigation in to the ICC's chief prosecutor Karim Khan. It said Khan's actions may have breached two Russian laws relating to accusing an innocent person of a crime, and "preparing an attack on a representative of a foreign state enjoying international protection, in order to complicate international relations."

On Wednesday, the ICC's legislative body condemned "threats" against the tribunal over its warrant.

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


Germany's Baerbock backs ICC over Putin warrant

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has expressed support for the International Criminal Court (ICC) after its decision to issue an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The Hague-based court issued the warrant for Putin last week for allegedly unlawfully deporting Ukrainian children, a war crime.

Speaking with reference to the Russian leader during a news conference in North Macedonia, Baerbock said that "nobody is above the law."


Hungary will not arrest Putin on ICC warrant, says official

Budapest will not implement the warrant issued by the International Criminal Court for the arrest of Russian President Vladimir Putin if he enters the country, Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban's chief of staff said on Thursday.

"Hungary has never proclaimed the ICC statute," Gergely Gulyas said.

He said that detaining Putin would contradict the Hungarian constitution as the country has not incorporated the statute of the ICC into its legal system.