The headquarters of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, Netherlands. Photo: Getty Images

Chair of the Federation Council Committee on constitutional legislation and state construction Andrei Klishas said the ICC arrest warrant has no legal basis. Russia's Permanent Representative to the UN Vasily Nebenzya criticized the ICC's decision as outrageous and illegal.

First Deputy Chair of the Federation Council Committee on Foreign Affairs Vladimir Dzhabarov accused the ICC of illegal provocations.

According to Chairman of the Russian State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin, Moscow considers any attack on the President of Russia an act of "aggression" on the country.

The Kremlin and the Russian Foreign Ministry issued statements rejecting the ICC's arrest warrant, stressing Russia is not a party to the ICC's Rome Statute and that the court has no jurisdiction in Russia.

UN General Assembly spokesperson Polina Kubiak said UN General Assembly President Csaba Koroshi is ready to meet President Putin if Putin wants to. Russia is a member of the United Nations General Assembly. This has not changed and will not change, unless the Security Council and the General Assembly decide otherwise, the spokesperson said.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) was established under the 1998 Rome Statute and has been effective since 2003. Russia and more than 40 countries do not recognize the ICC's jurisdiction.