THE Kremlin dismissed claims on Wednesday that Russia had issued a warning to South Africa, suggesting that arresting President Vladimir Putin based on an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant would lead to ‘war.’ The statement came shortly before South Africa announced that Putin would not be attending the upcoming BRICS summit in August, with both parties describing the decision as mutual.
The ICC has accused Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, his children’s commissioner, of the war crime of deporting children from Ukraine to Russia. Moscow vehemently denies these allegations, considering them false.
A recent court submission made in South Africa revealed that President Cyril Ramaphosa sought permission from the ICC not to arrest Putin during the BRICS summit, citing the potential for such an act to be interpreted as a declaration of war.
When questioned by reporters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that there were no utterances or suggestions of war from Russia in response to the possibility of Putin’s arrest. He emphasized that the ramifications of infringing on the rights of the Russian head of state were clear and widely understood.
‘No, no such formulations were uttered, no one gave anyone to understand that,’ said Peskov, addressing the alleged warning. ‘It is clear to everyone in this world what an attempt to infringe on the rights of the head of the Russian State means. So there is no need to explain anything to anyone here.’
Following these developments, South Africa and Russia confirmed that Putin would not be attending the BRICS summit. The decision was portrayed as mutually agreed upon, without further elaboration.
The accusations and legal proceedings surrounding Putin’s alleged war crimes highlight the contentious nature of the situation. The ongoing dispute between Russia and the ICC raises questions about international relations and the pursuit of justice in cases involving heads of state.