Kremlin denies South African threats of war over attempted arrest of Putin

Moscow did not signal that the arrest of the Russian president was tantamount to a declaration of war. This was stated by the press secretary of the Russian leader Dmitry Peskov.

Journalists asked Peskov to comment on the words of the President of South Africa that the arrest of the president would be tantamount to a declaration of war on Russia, and Moscow made this clear.

“No, it didn’t sound like that. Nobody made anyone understand anything. In this world, it is absolutely clear to everyone what an attempt to encroach on the head of the Russian state means. There is no need to explain anything to anyone here,” Peskov stressed.

On July 18, the media, citing documents sent to the High Court of the South African province of Gauteng, reportedthat South African President Cyril Ramaphosa warned that “Russia has made it clear that the arrest of President Putin would be a declaration of war on Russia” and South Africa does not want that.

On March 17, the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin. Earlier, the Kremlin stated that the decisions of the ICC have no legal force. Three days after the issuance of the warrant, the Russian Investigative Committee opened a criminal case against ICC prosecutor Karim Ahmad Khan, as well as judges Tomoko Akane, Rosario Salvatore Aitala and Sergio Gerardo Ugalde Godinez under Part 2 of Art. 301, part 1 of Art. 30, part 2, art. 360 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (knowingly unlawful detention, preparation for an attack on a representative of a foreign state enjoying international protection).