The International Criminal Court's (ICC) recent arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin has caused alarm within the Kremlin, according to insiders speaking with RadarOnline.com. The warrant, issued in relation to alleged war crimes committed in Ukraine, has prompted an emergency meeting among Russian officials to discuss its implications and formulate a response.
A Russian official disclosed that a parliamentary deputy from the United Russia party raised concerns over the possibility that the arrest warrant could be an attempt to instigate a regime change in Russia. "This is essentially a call to overthrow the government in Russia," the deputy reportedly stated.
As previously reported, the ICC issued the arrest warrant against Putin on March 17. The court's statement said, "Today, 17 March 2023, Pre-Trial Chamber II of the International Criminal Court […] issued warrants of arrest for two individuals in the context of the situation in Ukraine: Mr Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin and Ms Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova."
Putin has been accused of being "responsible for the war crime of unlawful deportation of population (children)" and the "unlawful transfer of population (children) from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation."
Following the announcement of the arrest warrant, Russian state TV host and Putin associate Vladimir Solovyov warned that any attempt to enforce the order against the Russian leader would be considered "a declaration of war."
"Any attempt to go against the will of the Russian people, which has made itself very clear, must result in a missile strike!" Solovyov said, after German Justice Minister Marco Buschmann declared Germany would arrest Putin if he entered the country.
The Kremlin's apprehension is further fueled by the fact that the arrest warrant was issued only a few months before Putin is scheduled to attend a conference in South Africa in August. South Africa, as a member of the ICC, is expected to honor the court's warrants, potentially preventing Putin from participating in the event.
"It would like them to end," a Russian insider told the Moscow Times this week, referring to the Kremlin's dissatisfaction with the ongoing discussions.