Vladimir Putin didn’t attend BRICS to avoid arrest over Ukraine war crimes?

Russian president Vladimir Putin is notably absent from the BRICS meeting while other world leaders reached Johannesburg in South Africa to attend the three-day summit.

The bloc consists of India, Brazil, Russia, China and South Africa. This meeting marks the first in-person summit since before the Covid-19 pandemic, but Vladimir Putin will participate via video call after his travel to South Africa was complicated by an International Criminal Court arrest warrant issued for him in March. The warrant was issued over the abduction of children from Ukraine.

PM Narendra Modi, China president Xi Jinping, Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and South African president Cyril Ramaphosa are attending in person as the bloc mulls a possible expansion which will top the agenda of the meeting. More than 20 nations have applied to join the bloc including Saudi Arabia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates.

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The five BRICS countries will have to agree on the criteria for new members before any countries are admitted. The group was formed in 2009 by Brazil, Russia, India and China. South Africa was added in 2010.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stressed that Vladimir Putin will fully participate despite appearing virtually and will make a speech. Russia will also be represented in person by country’s foreign minister Sergey Lavrov. United Nations secretary-general António Guterres is also expected to attend.

PM Modi arrived in Johannesburg as he kickstarted the first leg of his two-nation visit. He will be in South Africa from August 22-24. Upon arrival at the Waterkloof Air Force Base, he was received a ceremonial welcome.

Xi Jinping is also set to meet with South Africa’s Ramaphosa for a state visit in Pretoria after which he will travel to Gauteng to the summit in Johannesburg, Associated Press reported.