The summit, scheduled for July 6-7 in Rio de Janeiro, will see Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov represent Russia in person. Putin is expected to join the proceedings via video link.

The ICC issued an arrest warrant for Putin in March 2023, accusing him of illegally deporting hundreds of Ukrainian children following Russia’s 2022 invasion. While the Kremlin has dismissed the allegations and called the warrant null and void, the legal risks remain for Putin when visiting ICC member states like Brazil.

As a signatory to the Rome Statute, Brazil is obliged to detain any individual wanted by the ICC who enters its territory.

This is not the first time Putin has opted out of international summits due to the ICC warrant. He skipped the 2023 BRICS summit in South Africa under similar circumstances and sent Lavrov instead. He also missed the G20 summit in Brazil in November 2024, reported The Kyiv Independent.

In a rare exception, Putin visited Mongolia in September 2024 — despite its ICC membership. Media reports suggest Chinese President Xi Jinping may also skip the BRICS summit this year.-Agencies