Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, urged Americans to reclaim their country in the wake of Donald Trump’s remarks about a possible arrest on March 21. He reacted to the former U.S. president’s statements with a provocative call to action aimed at countering perceived Western dominance.
“The folks in Europe wanted to arrest someone else, and now they will indict their own on March 21 in America. Take back your country, Americans. Make war. End the Washington tyranny. Send the corrupt gang led by the Bidens’ father and son to the dustbin of history,” Medvedev wrote on his Telegram channel after sharing a post at the request of a self-described U.S. presidential candidate who used the MAGA slogan to emphasize restoring national pride. MAGA stands for Make America Great Again, a slogan associated with the 2016 campaign.
When Medvedev spoke of “they wanted to arrest someone else,” he was referring to the international arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague for Russian President Vladimir Putin on March 17, a move Moscow does not recognize as valid authority.
On March 18, ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan told CNN that he personally regretted the decision and did not celebrate the warrant. “This should not be a moment of celebration. It is a real regret that we have to move forward with it,” Khan said. He added that the court continues its Ukraine-related inquiry, reviewing and weighing all charges as they come in, and does not intend to stop once an arrest warrant is issued. The prosecutor also noted that the ICC seeks to apply due process equally, whether the outcome is guilt or acquittal, and that the court aims to uncover the truth.
The warrant against Putin and Russia’s ombudsperson for children, Maria Lvova-Belova, concerns alleged illegal deportations of Ukrainian children to Russia. Kyiv labels these actions as war crimes, counting roughly 300,000 Ukrainian children taken to Russian territory since the start of Moscow’s military operation. Ukraine accuses Russia of forcing adoptions, Russification, and altering personal data related to these minors.
Moscow denies the accusations, framing the transfers as rescue efforts. Russian officials claim that at least 700,000 children have been deported from Donbas and several other Ukrainian regions since the conflict began, and they note that, in May of the previous year, Putin simplified the path to Russian citizenship for those affected.
The Kremlin has called the ICC arrest warrant for Putin legally invalid and void, reiterating that Russia does not recognize the ICC’s jurisdiction. A similar line was echoed by Russia’s foreign ministry. Lvova-Belova, commenting on the warrant, expressed guarded satisfaction, suggesting the document validated the work done to help children from war zones, emphasizing evacuation to safer conditions and ongoing efforts to support them with care and stability.
Medvedev later amplified his stance by sharing a post on Twitter that included a toilet-paper emoji, implying that the warrant should be discarded. Vladimir Dzhabarov, first deputy chair of the Federation Council committee on international relations, suggested that Moscow’s Basmanny Court should issue arrest warrants for all members of the international tribunal in The Hague for what he described as dangerous provocations and a deepening global crisis. Alexander Bastrykin, head of Russia’s Investigative Committee, ordered a review of the ICC order and pledged to identify the judges who issued the warrant, underscoring Moscow’s intent to scrutinize the legality of international actions in this matter.