Putin wonʼt fly to Brazil summit due to the ICC warrant. Xi Jinping wonʼt be there either

Vladimir Putin will not fly to Brazil for the BRICS summit in July. The reason is an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC).

This was stated by the assistant to the Russian leader Yuri Ushakov, according to Russian propaganda media.

According to Ushakov, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will travel to the country instead of the Kremlin leader. Instead, Putin will participate in the main events of the summit via video link.

"This is due to certain difficulties in the context of the ICCʼs requirements — you know, it is in this context that the Brazilian government could not take a clear position that would allow our president to participate in this meeting," the official noted.

Bloomberg reported that Chinese President Xi Jinping will also miss the BRICS leaders’ meeting in Rio de Janeiro, scheduled for July 6-7. According to sources, China will be represented by Premier Li Keqiang. This is the first time Xi has missed the summit since taking office.

Beijing explained Xi Jinpingʼs change of plans as a "scheduling conflict", sources told the South China Morning Post. Another possible reason is Xiʼs frequent meetings with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. It is unusual for a Chinese president to visit the same country two years in a row, with the exception of Russia, the sources added.

• BRICS is an alliance of the largest developing countries in terms of area and population, formed in 2006. The organization includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates and Indonesia. BRICS positions itself as an alternative to institutions such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, which, according to the members of the alliance, are dominated by Western countries.

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