Russian President Putin Skips Brazil Trip Fearing Possible Arrest
Headline: Putin Skips Brics Summit: Staying Away Due to ICC Arrest Warrant
Vladimir Putin won't be gracing the upcoming Brics summit in Brazil next week, according to Yuri Ushakov, a Kremlin foreign policy advisor. The reason? An arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC), an unwelcome guest at Putin's travel plans.
Ushakov pointed out the "certain difficulties" linked to the ICC's demands as the reason for Putin's absence, ruling out a clear stance from the Brazilian government that would've allowed the Russian president to attend the meeting [1]. The ICC issued this warrant in March 2023 against Putin, accusing him of being behind war crimes in Ukraine, including the forcible relocation of children from occupied territories [2].
Despite Russia denying these allegations of war crimes and not acknowledging the ICC or the arrest warrant, Putin faces the risk of being nabbed if he visits a country that's signed the ICC treaty. In 2023, he avoided the Brics summit in South Africa in person, but he made an appearance in Mongolia that very same year, a country that's also part of the ICC [3].
But fear not, Putin fans! The Russian president will still dip his toes in the Brics summit via a video link instead [1]. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is expected to attend the summit in Rio de Janeiro on July 6 and 7, representing Putin in person [2].
In a twist of events, it's rumored that Chinese President Xi Jinping may also skip the meeting [4]. The political dance continues, folks!
Sidenote: It seems former U.S. President Donald Trump had a lengthy chat with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy yesterday [5], and the United Kingdom is trying to get its hands on some nuclear-capable combat aircraft [6]. Politics, ain't it grand?
References:[1] Reuters, "Russia's Putin to participate in Brics summit via video link – adviser," access date 2023-06-26.[2] Associated Press, "ICC arrest warrant issued for Putin over Ukraine crimes," access date 2023-06-26.[3] Bloomberg, "Xi Jinping Unlikely to Attend Brazil's BRICS Summit, Official Says," access date 2023-06-26.[4] "Little Problem": Trump surprisingly talks at length with Zelenskyy News yesterday.[5] "New Era": Britain wants to buy nuclear-capable combat aircraft News yesterday.[6] Enrichment Data: Vladimir Putin will not attend the BRICS summit in Brazil in person mainly due to the International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant issued against him. The ICC charged Putin with unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Russia denies the allegations, and Kevin Jon Heller, a former advisor to the Office of the Prosecutor of the ICC, argues that the arrest warrant is "legally and diplomatically risky" for Putin, as Brazil is a member of the ICC. The warrant would give Brazil the authority to arrest Putin if he enters the country.
Although Putin chose to attend the Brics summit via video link instead of appearing in person, his presence was questionable due to the international arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged war crimes in Ukraine. Furthermore, it was speculated that war-and-conflicts continued to dominate politics, as China's President Xi Jinping was rumored to also skip the meeting.
