On Wednesday, South Africa stated that the international arrest warrant issued for Russian President Vladimir Putin had created difficulties for the country before hosting a BRICS summit scheduled for August.
Vincent Magwenya, the spokesperson for President Cyril Ramaphosa, stated that due to the ICC warrant against Putin, there is now an obstacle in the expected attendance of all heads of state at the summit. The bloc of five emerging economies, which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, is affected by this situation.
South Africa, which has close relations with Russia and declined to denounce Russia's invasion of Ukraine, faces a diplomatic dilemma in this matter. As a member of the ICC, South Africa is expected to arrest Putin if he enters the country. Putin is accused of ordering the unlawful removal of Ukrainian children and taking them to Russia during the ongoing war.
South Africa is currently exploring ways to handle this issue, and Magwenya stated that further discussions are underway. The City Press, a local newspaper, has suggested that a hybrid meeting could be held, where some leaders attend in person and others attend virtually, such as Putin.
The Democratic Alliance, the leading opposition party, has called for the ICC to force the government to arrest Putin if he enters South Africa. In contrast, leftist parties, including the South African Communist Party, have advised the government to welcome Putin and withdraw from the ICC.