Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev said that if Germany decides to implement the decision of the International Criminal Court (ICC) on the "arrest" of Russian President Vladimir Putin, this will be equal to declaring war on Russia.
Earlier, German Justice Minister Marco Buschmann said that the warrant for Putin's "arrest" would be valid in Germany after a request from the ICC. The order was also supported by Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who, during his visit to Japan, said that "no one is above the law."
"Some idiots, halfwits like the German justice minister, say, 'Well, if he comes, we'll arrest him.'.. Does he understand what that means? Let's imagine... the incumbent head of a nuclear state arrives on the territory of, say, Germany and is arrested. What is this? A declaration of war on the Russian Federation!" Medvedev said in an interview with major Russian media, including Sputnik.
He said Russia in such a situation would use all available means to target "the Bundestag, the chancellor's office, and so on."
Medvedev said such decisions like the one the ICC made create a huge negative potential.
On March 17, the ICC issued a warrant for the arrest of Putin and Russian Presidential Commissioner for Children's Rights Maria Lvova-Belova, citing "unlawful transfer of population (children) from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation."
The Kremlin said Russia is not party to the ICC and the court's decision is legally null and void for the country.
Russia-West Relations Now at All-Time Low
The relations between Russia and the West are at an all-time low, Medvedev said.
“We already have very bad relations with the Western world. Well, they have probably never been worse in history. Even at the time when Churchill delivered the Fulton speech, they were better,” Medvedev believes.
He went on to say that although there are currently no illusions that the relationship will soon be normal again, communication with the West will be restored at some point.
Medvedev said he dislikes the incumbent Western leaders, adding that in certain situations, it makes no sense to negotiate with other countries.
"In my opinion, in certain situations it is pointless to try to agree. It is necessary to ignore, and in some cases make decisions like the one that was made on February 24 last year. Because agreements are counterproductive in some cases," he said.
Medvedev also noted a decline in EU leaders' competence.
The Russian Security Council deputy chairman said the West would like to destabilize the political situation in Russia.
"They do not want to see the Russian Federation itself, they don't need us. And this is their geopolitical, geostrategic idea of very old times. Why do they need such a country, which has a huge territory and the most serious nuclear shield, and which does not even obey the Americans?" Medvedev said.
"Therefore, the desire is very simple: to destabilize the political situation, to divide the country into parts, such large ones, to negotiate with each of these parts, to denuclearize and demilitarize each part, and then come and offer their services, saying: 'Guys, now you need someone to protect you, don't you?'" he said.
Medvedev said the West does not like the independence of Russia and China.
Europe Lost Much More Than Russia When Trade Shrunk Because of EU's Decisions
"Just recently, our trade turnover with the European Union was 400 [billion US dollars], now it has shrunken very much because they made stupid decisions. Well, let God be their judge, they lost much more than we did, in my opinion," Medvedev said in an interview with leading Russian media, including Sputnik.
Focusing on the Ukraine crisis, Medvedev said that he believes that Ukraine is "generally a part of Russia":
“Ukraine is generally a part of Russia, to be honest, it is a part of Russia. But due to geopolitical reasons... and history... we have long put up with the fact that we live in different apartments. We are forced to take this into account, these fictitious borders, territories that have always been part of... the Russian Empire, it was all the Russian Empire... except for certain areas that came to us as a result of the Second World War. But these territories were also originally inhabited by the Russian population and have always been part of Russia in the narrow sense of the word," Medvedev said.
He said that if Ukraine joined NATO, Russia would get a neighbor who plans to produce nuclear weapons and is part of an unfriendly bloc, adding that Kiev could then launch a full-scale operation against Russia because of Crimea, and that Moscow could not accept this.
“And you want us to put up with it? Especially in conditions when we have a dispute over Crimea: we consider it our territory, they consider it theirs. So they join NATO and after that, under NATO's umbrella, they begin a large-scale operation against our country - we cannot accept this,” Medvedev said.
Speaking about China's plan for a peaceful settlement in Ukraine, he said that its implementation requires a desire, and it needs to be studied not only in Moscow, but also in Washington and Kiev, which is currently not happening.
Chinese President Xi Jinping was in Russia on March 20-22 on a state visit, which became his first trip abroad after being re-elected to the post of head of state for a third term. On Monday, the Chinese leader had an informal meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and on Tuesday talks were held with the participation of delegations. During the visit, a joint statement was signed on a plan to develop the key areas of Russian-Chinese economic cooperation until 2030.
Medvedev also took part in the talks from the Russian side.
China in February proposed its peace plan, which has 12 points, including calls for a ceasefire, respect for the legitimate security interests of all countries, and settlement of the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. According to Russian President Vladimir Putin, many points of the Chinese peace plan can be taken as the basis for a settlement when the West and Kiev are ready for this.
Russia-China Relations at All-Time High
Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev said Russia-China relations are at an all-time high and he does not see any problems in bilateral ties any time soon.
"If we characterize our relations as a whole, they are at an all-time high. And I don't see any problems in these relations in the foreseeable future," he said.
"The visit [by Xi]... showed... a new level of relations, or strategic mpartnership and interaction between Russia and China at a new stage," Medvedev, who took part in the Russian-Chinese talks in Moscow, said.
He said China has become economy No.1 in the world, adding that even the United States recognizes this. Medvedev believes Russia-China trade will reach $300 billion in 2023-2024.
According to the Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman, the West does not need an equal partnership with either Russia or China, but wants to dominate.
West Will Try to Interfere in Russian Presidential Elections in 2024
The West will try to interfere in the presidential elections in Russia in 2024, undisguised influence attempts have been made since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Medvedev said.
"There is no doubt that they will interfere, like they have always interfered," he told reporters in response to a relevant question.
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