Russian President Vladimir Putin will not attend the G20 Summit in India in person, Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Friday. The format of Putin’s participation would be determined later, he said.
India is hosting the G20 Summit and the main event will be held in New Delhi on September 9-10. The summit is likely to be attended by 29 heads of states as well as top officials of the European Union and invited guest countries and 14 heads of international organisations.
Putin did not attend the 15th BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa as well. He was represented by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The President participated virtually due to concerns over an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged war crimes.
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The warrant includes accusations of "unlawful deportation" and transfer of population, including children, from Ukraine to Russia. South Africa is an ICC signatory and was expected to help in Putin's arrest if he was present in the country.
Responding to concerns over the connection between the arrest warrant and Putin's virtual attendance, Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova cautioned against searching for "hidden meanings."
