Putin to Skip November G20 Summit in Brazil to Avoid Disruption Amid Ukraine's Call for Arrest

Oct 18, 2024, 02:04 PM

Ukraine's top prosecutor, Andriy Kostin, has called on Brazilian authorities to arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin should he attend the G20 summit in Brazil next month, citing the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant issued in March 2023 for war crimes. Brazil, as a signatory to the Rome Statute, is obliged to execute ICC warrants. In response, Putin stated he will not attend the November summit to avoid 'wrecking' or 'disrupting' the event, and emphasized that Russia does not recognize the ICC's jurisdiction, noting that 'ICC decisions are very easy to circumvent.' Putin also mentioned his 'very friendly relationship with President Lula' as a factor in his decision and confirmed that Russia will send an alternative representative in his place.