Dmitry Medvedev, deputy head of Russia's National Security Council, adds another scenario that could trigger a nuclear war: arresting the Russian President in another country

Dmitry Medvedev, deputy head of Russia's National Security Council, said on Thursday that any attempt to arrest President Vladimir Putin after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant against him would be tantamount to a declaration of war on Russia.

The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Putin on Friday, charging him with the war crime of forcibly deporting hundreds of children from Ukraine. The court noted that there are reasonable grounds to believe that Putin bears individual criminal responsibility for the matter.

Medvedev, a former president and staunch Putin ally, told Russian media that the ICC was a "worthless legal entity" that had never done anything significant. There are countries that do not recognize the court, including Russia, China and the United States.

Medvedev said that any attempt to arrest Putin would be tantamount to a declaration of war.

And he continued, saying in a video he posted on Telegram, “What will that be? It will be a declaration of war on the Russian Federation... In that case, all our (war) assets, all our missiles, etc.... will fly towards the chancellery office and the Bundestag building," referring to the German parliament.

Russian officials deny war crimes were committed in Ukraine and say the West has ignored what they say are Ukrainian war crimes.

Medvedev described relations with the West as certainly at their worst.

He said nuclear risks were increasing, adding, "Every day that weapons are supplied to Ukraine from abroad brings the world closer to complete nuclear devastation."

Medvedev pointed out that the West now wants to divide Russia into a group of weak countries to steal its huge natural resources, he said.

The West denies it wants to destroy Russia and says it is helping Ukraine defend itself against colonial-style land grabs.

"Ukraine is part of Russia," Medvedev said, adding that most of present-day Ukraine was part of the Russian Empire.