Putin will not attend BRICS summit in South Africa, as ICC arrest warrant overshadows key talks

Russian President Vladimir Putin will not attend the BRICS summit hosted by Johannesburg in late August, his South African counterpart confirmed on Wednesday, halting months of speculation triggered by an arrest warrant issued against the Kremlin leader for alleged war crimes in Ukraine. President Cyril Ramaphosa’s office said Putin will not attend the conference “by mutual agreement,” adding that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov would visit instead. The leaders of the other members of the BRICS economic bloc, Brazil, India and China, are still expected to attend in person. The...