Putin declines to attend Brazil summit due to arrest warrant
Photo: Russian President Vladimir Putin (Getty Images)
Russian President Vladimir Putin has refused to attend the G20 summit in Brazil, where he could be arrested under an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant. He claimed that the ICC's decision is "easy to bypass", according to the Russian media.
Putin stated that he would not go to the G20 summit to avoid "politicizing" and "disrupting" the event.
"We understand what is happening around Russia. I have wonderful friendly relations with President Lula. Why should I go there to disrupt the normal functioning of this forum? Even without the ICC, the discussions would only focus on this issue. We would essentially disrupt the work of G20, why do that?" President said.
He added that he would send someone in his place to "adequately represent Russia's interests" at the G20 meeting.
At the same time, Putin stated that the ICC's arrest warrant is "very easy to bypass." According to him, "it is enough to sign a bilateral agreement that limits the court's jurisdiction."
G20 Summit in Brazil
In 2023, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin due to his involvement in the deportation of Ukrainian children. This means that the Kremlin leader could be arrested in countries that are ICC members.
Earlier, we reported that Ukraine has information suggesting that Russian President Vladimir Putin may attend the G20 summit in Brazil, scheduled for November. The Kremlin leader is to be arrested in case of a visit.
