On Wednesday, South Africa’s presidency announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin will not attend the BRICS summit scheduled for August in South Africa. Instead, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will represent the country alongside the leaders of Brazil, India, China, and South Africa. The decision was reached “by mutual agreement” between Russia and South Africa.

Putin’s potential attendance at the summit had posed a diplomatic challenge for South Africa due to his status as the subject of an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in relation to alleged war crimes connected to the conflict in Ukraine. As an ICC member, South Africa would be obligated to arrest Putin if he were to appear in person at the summit.

In response to the situation, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa sought permission from the ICC not to arrest Putin, arguing that doing so would be considered a declaration of war. The Kremlin, on the other hand, asserted that Russia had not conveyed to South Africa that arresting Putin on the ICC warrant would lead to a conflict.

While South Africa has taken a neutral stance and favors dialogue regarding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, it has faced criticism from Western powers for its perceived close ties to Moscow.