Ukrainian activist Oleksandra Romantsova has suggested that Russian President Vladimir Putin attend this year’s BRICS summit in South Africa via Zoom, rather than in person. The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Putin last month, and as an ICC member, South Africa would be required to detain him if he were to attend in person. The BRICS group is comprised of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, and is seen as a powerful emerging-market alternative to the West.
Romantsova, who is the executive director of Ukraine’s Center for Civil Liberties, joined a Ukrainian civil society delegation aiming to share information about the ongoing war in Ukraine. Speaking to Reuters, Romantsova explained that “if Putin comes here…they (South Africa) need to arrest him. It’s a complicated political situation. So better that Putin join via Zoom.”
South African officials met with the Ukrainian delegation but declined to go into detail about the discussions. President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa stated this week that his government was still considering what to do about the arrest warrant for Putin, and attending the summit virtually was an option being considered.
South Africa is one of Russia’s most important allies on a continent divided over the Ukraine war and Western attempts to isolate Moscow. However, Romantsova emphasized that if South Africa wanted to mediate, it needed a strong connection with Ukraine, not just Russia. “You need to understand the situation in Ukraine, you have to need have a regular connection,” she said.
The ICC issued the warrant for Putin, alleging that Moscow’s forcible deportation of Ukrainian children was a war crime. The Kremlin has responded with outrage, stating that any decisions of the court are “null and void.” Moscow has repeatedly denied accusations that its forces have committed atrocities during the invasion.