South Africa not to invite Putin to G20 summit due to arrest warrant
Russian President Vladimir Putin (photo: Getty Images)
South Africa, currently holding the presidency of the G20 and set to host the G20 summit, will not invite Russian leader Vladimir Putin to the event. This decision is linked to the active International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant for Putin's arrest, reports The Moscow Times.
South African Presidential Spokesperson Vincent Magwenya stated that the legal situation remains unchanged since the BRICS summit in Johannesburg.
He emphasized that South Africa cannot influence the ICC's decision, which requires Putin's arrest in any country that has ratified the Rome Statute, due to his alleged involvement in the forced deportation of Ukrainian children, classified as a war crime.
The G20 summit is scheduled to take place in Johannesburg on November 21–22, 2025.
ICC arrest warrant's impact on Putin's foreign visits
On March 17, 2023, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russia's Commissioner for Children's Rights, Maria Lvova-Belova.
This means that Putin could be detained in any of the 123 countries that have ratified the Rome Statute or recognized the jurisdiction of the ICC.
In August 2023, Putin was unable to attend the BRICS summit in South Africa due to the arrest warrant issued by the Hague court.
In November, he also decided not to attend the G20 summit in Brazil, explaining his absence as an attempt to avoid disrupting the normal work of the forum.
Despite the ratification of the Rome Statute by many countries, not all comply with the obligations to enforce arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC). For instance, on September 2, Mongolia chose not to arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin. Officially, Ulaanbaatar justified its position by citing the country's reliance on Russian energy products.
