This decision comes as a relief for South Africa, as it avoids the potential dilemma of whether or not to carry out an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant against Putin.
As a signatory to the treaty that established the ICC, South Africa would have been obligated to arrest Putin. However, the country had previously hinted that it would likely not execute the arrest warrant. The announcement on Wednesday allows South Africa to sidestep this issue, following a recent telephone conversation between Ramaphosa and Putin.
The decision for Putin's absence at the summit was reached through "mutual agreement," according to Ramaphosa's office. Instead, Russia will be represented by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during the August 22-24 event.
July 20, 2023
The BRICS economic bloc consists of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. Prior to the issuance of Putin's ICC arrest warrant in March, South Africa had extended invitations to the leaders of the other four countries to attend the summit.
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This announcement puts an end to months of speculation regarding Putin's travel plans to South Africa. Since being indicted for war crimes related to the abduction of children from Ukraine, Putin has refrained from visiting any country that is a signatory to the ICC treaty.
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