Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has reassured that Russian President Vladimir Putin will not face arrest if he attends the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro next year. Brazil is set to take over presidency of G20 in December.
G20 Summit Reassurance
Putin was notably absent from recent G20 Summit in New Delhi and also skipped BRICS meeting in Johannesburg due to concerns that South Africa might arrest him based on International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant. The ICC issued this warrant in March accusing Putin of unlawfully deporting Ukrainian children, a charge the Kremlin dismisses as invalid.
Brazil Welcomes Putin to G20 Summit Amid Ukraine Conflict
Despite Brazil being a signatory to the ICC, President Lula has stated that Putin will be invited to the Rio de Janeiro event. Lula emphasized Brazil’s commitment to peace and treating people well, expressing confidence that Putin can visit Brazil without the risk of arrest.
Lula also mentioned his intention to attend BRICS summit in Russia next year.
G20 Summit Addresses Ukraine Conflict Tensions
The backdrop of these developments is ongoing tension between Moscow and Western countries over the conflict in Ukraine, which had created significant disagreements at previous year’s G20 summit in Bali.
While Western nations initially sought stronger condemnation of the Ukrainian war in the G20 communique, they eventually compromised on the Delhi Declaration, which did not explicitly condemn Moscow but urged all states to refrain from using force to acquire territory.
