Putin to attend BRICS summit - South African president

That's according to Eyewitness News, Ukrinform reports.

Amid speculation about whether Russian President Vladimir Putin will take part in the BRICS summit (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) to be held in South Africa in August, President Cyril Ramaphosa said the event will be held in the personal presence of the participants.

Ramaphosa announced at a meeting of the BRICS Business Council in Sandton on Thursday evening.

Following the arrest warrant for Putin issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC), there was speculation that the event could take place virtually.

But Ramaphosa said this would not happen.

"There were rumours that this too could become an online summit - no. It is going to be face to face, eyeball to eyeball," the South African president said.

On the same day, Stavrous Nichalouw, chairman of the BRICS Business Council, assured that all the leaders would participate in person. These are the leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.

"Expect a number of heads of State. But importantly, the five BRICS heads of State will attend the forum," Nichalouw emphasized.

As reported, the BRICS summit (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) is scheduled for August 22-24. Earlier, The Times reported that South Africa offers Putin to join the BRICS summit online so that he does not have to be taken into custody under an ICC warrant.

South Africa, as a signatory to the International Criminal Court (ICC), is obliged to arrest Putin if he takes part in talks between the leaders of Brazil, Russia, India and China in connection with the arrest warrant for the deportation of children from Ukraine.

On March 17, the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Presidential Commissioner for Children's Rights Maria Lvova-Belova. The Russian president and his commissioner are suspected of war crimes - deportation and illegal displacement of the population, including children, from the occupied territory of Ukraine.