Russia’s President Vladimir Putin will not be attending the upcoming Brics summit in South Africa next month. The decision comes in response to South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa’s assertion that any attempt to arrest Putin on their soil would be considered a declaration of war against Russia. This statement has sparked significant controversy, as it puts the spotlight on the delicate balance between international law and national security. The possibility of Putin’s arrest stemmed from his status as a subject of an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant, mainly due to accusations of war crimes committed in Ukraine. South Africa is a signatory of the ICC and, as such, is expected to cooperate in apprehending individuals subject to its arrest warrants.
In light of the potential diplomatic and security implications, the Russian President’s absence at the summit will be notable. Instead, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will represent the country during the two-day gathering. The decision to invite Putin to the Brics summit has been met with criticism from various quarters within South Africa. The Democratic Alliance, the country’s biggest opposition party, even resorted to legal action to compel the authorities to enforce the ICC’s arrest warrant should Putin set foot in the nation.
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President Ramaphosa, however, has been clear about his stance against such a move. He cited concerns about national security, arguing that arresting a sitting president of a powerful nation like Russia could potentially lead to a declaration of war, an outcome that South Africa seeks to avoid at all costs. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, while denying that Russia specifically stated arresting Putin would be an act of war, emphasized that the potential infringement against the head of the Russian state would undoubtedly carry severe consequences. Russia has consistently criticized the ICC arrest warrant, dismissing it as illegitimate because the country is not a member of the organization.
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