Putin will not travel to South Africa for G20 summit: What is known
Photo: Russian President Vladimir Putin (Getty Images)
The Russian President Vladimir Putin will once again not travel to the Republic of South Africa (RSA) for the G20 (Group of Twenty) summit, most likely due to an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court, according to a statement from Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov to Russian media.
Peskov confirmed that Putin will not personally attend the summit in South Africa, scheduled for the end of November. Instead of the Russian leader, the delegation will be led by another official.
"(Putin) will not participate in person… But Russia, as we have said, will be represented at a proper level," he stated.
At the same time, Peskov did not explain why Putin is refusing to travel to South Africa. However, it appears the issue is that South Africa is a signatory to the Rome Statute and is obliged to comply with ICC rulings. And there is a warrant for Putin’s arrest, which requires members of the Rome Statute to detain the Kremlin leader.
ICC arrest warrant for Putin: Details
In 2023, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin, accusing him of kidnapping Ukrainian children. Alongside Putin, a warrant was also issued for the head of the so-called children’s ombudsman, Maria Lvova-Belova.
Theoretically, all 125 countries that are parties to the Rome Statute are obliged to comply with ICC rulings and urgently arrest the dictator. However, this principle was already violated by Mongolia in September 2024, followed recently by Tajikistan, which also refused to execute the warrant.
Hungary has likewise refused to comply with the ICC ruling; moreover, Budapest is in the process of withdrawing from the Rome Statute. At the same time, South Africa does not intend to violate its obligations to the ICC, even for Putin, which is precisely why the Russian President is afraid.
