Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on Friday that he will not attend the upcoming G20 summit in Brazil, scheduled for November 18-19. He stated that his presence could disrupt the important discussions at the forum, and confirmed that another representative would attend on Russia’s behalf.
Putin’s decision comes in the wake of an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, which accuses him of war crimes related to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. The Ukrainian government has urged Brazil to detain Putin should he travel there for the summit.
During a press conference, Putin expressed his amicable relationship with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva but questioned the wisdom of attending the summit under the current circumstances. “I have wonderful friendly relations with President Lula, but why would I go there on purpose to disrupt the normal work of this forum?” he stated.
Furthermore, Putin indicated that Russia might consider signing a bilateral agreement with Brazil to circumvent the ICC’s arrest warrant if necessary. He asserted, “Decisions of this kind are very easy to circumvent; it is enough to sign an intergovernmental agreement and that’s it—the jurisdiction of the ICC will be limited.”
Russia, which is not a party to the ICC, has consistently denied the war crime allegations put forth by the court, as well as those from Ukraine and its Western allies. The Kremlin views these charges as politically motivated and has dismissed them as unfounded.
As the summit approaches, the implications of Putin’s absence and the ongoing tensions surrounding the ICC warrant will likely remain focal points of international discourse.