Putin to Miss BRICS Summit in Brazil Over ICC Arrest Concerns

Russian President Vladimir Putin will not attend the upcoming BRICS summit in Brazil in person, due to the risks posed by an active arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC). Kremlin foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov confirmed that Putin will instead participate in the summit virtually via video link.

The ICC warrant, issued in March 2023, accuses Putin of committing war crimes, specifically over the alleged unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children during the Russia-Ukraine conflict. While Russia does not recognize the ICC’s jurisdiction, Brazil is a signatory to the Rome Statute and is obligated to enforce the court’s decisions. As such, Moscow reportedly received no concrete assurances from Brazilian authorities regarding the safety of Putin’s visit.

Ushakov stated that Brazil’s inability to provide legal guarantees influenced the final decision, emphasizing that the matter was handled diplomatically. This is the second time Putin has opted out of an in-person BRICS summit due to the warrant—he also skipped the 2023 summit in South Africa for similar reasons.

In Putin’s absence, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will represent Russia at the summit in Brasília. The gathering, which includes leaders from Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, is expected to focus on geopolitical cooperation, global economic reform, and expansion of the BRICS bloc.

Meanwhile, reports suggest that Chinese President Xi Jinping may also not attend the summit in person, further reshaping the expected high-level dialogue.

Putin’s continued absence from key international forums highlights the diplomatic complications arising from the ICC’s legal actions and their growing impact on global politics. The Kremlin has consistently dismissed the charges as politically motivated, while Western nations maintain that accountability for war crimes is essential to uphold international law.