South Africa’s presidency announced on Wednesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin will not attend the upcoming summit of the BRICS group of nations in South Africa, scheduled for August. The decision was made “by mutual agreement” and instead, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will represent the Russian Federation at the summit.

Vincent Magwenya, a spokesperson for South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, released a statement explaining the situation. South Africa faced a dilemma in hosting the summit due to its membership in the International Criminal Court (ICC), which had issued an arrest warrant for Putin in March on charges of alleged war crimes. As a member of the ICC, South Africa theoretically would be required to arrest Putin if he were to attend the summit.

The potential scenario created intense debate both within South Africa and on the international stage regarding whether the arrest warrant would be executed, given South Africa’s neutral stance on the war in Ukraine and its historical ties with the Kremlin. In a similar situation in 2015, South Africa failed to arrest then-Sudanese leader Omar al-Bashir, who was also the subject of an ICC warrant.

In light of these complexities, President Putin’s absence from the BRICS summit aims to avoid any diplomatic tensions or legal issues. The leaders of Brazil, India, and South Africa will be in attendance as planned, ensuring continuity and productive discussions among the participating nations.

The BRICS group, initially formed as BRIC in 2019 with Brazil, Russia, India, and China, welcomed South Africa as a member the following year after an invitation from China. The bloc represents a coalition of emerging economic powers that seek to collaborate and address global challenges.

Furthermore, Ethiopia, Iran, and Argentina have expressed interest in joining the BRICS bloc, indicating its growing significance and appeal in the international community.