PHNOM PENH: Prime Minister Hun Sen has expressed concern over the International Criminal Court (ICC) ordering an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin, which he believes could potentially lead to nuclear war in Europe.

The Prime Minister warned the world to be wary of a nuclear war erupting in Europe after the arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin was issued, as Moscow has already called it an "absolutely unacceptable" charge.

He said the ICC's accusations against President Putin are a shocking political development, with far-reaching implications for geopolitics in Europe and the world, and not just war crimes.

He also stressed that the arrest warrant would further complicate the peace process in the Ukraine war, especially right before Chinese President, Xi Jinping's, visit to Moscow, where he is expected to mediate for peace. He also added that China itself has been accused of genocide in Xinjiang.

The Prime Minister asked how Putin can negotiate peace when "the other side" threatens to arrest him.

He continued that he has never believed nuclear war would break out despite the threat of nuclear weapons, and encouraged all parties to be careful about the use and talk over nuclear weapons. The Prime Minister, however, noted that there is now backlash coming from "the other side" in the form of an arrest warrant for Putin, and this is a matter of concern because the Russian President is the only person with the right to order the fire of a nuclear weapon, being the leader of country with thousands of nuclear warheads.

“Did Putin agree to be arrested without confrontation?" the Prime Minister asked. "If Putin is arrested abroad, would the country's authorities accept that their president is arrested?"

He further explained that this is now reaching the point where nuclear war is almost a reality. Any threat to Putin is a sign of potential nuclear war erupting in Europe, and those at risk include the ICC headquarters itself, as nuclear operations can cover up to thousands of kilometers.

On Friday, 17 March 2023, the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Russian President, Vladimir Putin, on charges of war crimes in Ukraine — an accusation which Moscow has denied.

The ICC currently has 123 members, which does not include major countries such as the United States, Russia, India and China. The then President of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, also withdrew his country's membership from the ICC in 2019 because the court had no power to arrest any suspects without the cooperation of national governments.