Russian President Vladimir Putin will not to attend the G20 summit in Brazil, reports Reuters. He noted that his possible presence would interfere with the important work there, and for that it would be better if someone else represented Moscow.
The Russian leader emphasized that he has wonderful friendly relations with President Lula da Silva. He added that he would not go to the G20 forum to interfere with the normal work there. Putin added that Russia could sign a bilateral agreement with Brazil to circumvent the ICC arrest warrant if necessary.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague has issued an arrest warrant for Putin in 2023 for alleged war crimes in Ukraine. Kiev has called on Brazil to arrest the Russian leader if he travels to the November 18-19 summit.
Russia, which is not a party to the International Criminal Court, vehemently denies the accusations of war crimes brought against it by the court, Ukraine and its Western allies.