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Lavrov to lead Russian delegation to G20 summit instead of Putin in light of his possible arrest in Brazil

by Kateryna Hodunova and The Kyiv Independent news desk November 12, 2024 11:28 PM 2 min read
Russian President Vladimir Putin answers the questions of the press members at a press conference held as part of the 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia on Oct. 24, 2024. (Sefa Karacan/Anadolu via Getty Images)
This audio is created with AI assistance

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will head the Russian delegation to the Group of Twenty (G20) summit instead of Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Russian state news agency TASS reported on Nov. 12, citing Russian Ambassador Marat Berdyev.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) in March 2023 issued a warrant for Putin's arrest due to his role in the deportation of Ukrainian children. Brazil is a party to the ICC's Rome Statute and, therefore, is required to detain Putin if he enters the country.

Brazil previously issued a standard invitation to Putin for the summit, which will convene heads of state of G20 nations in Rio de Janeiro Nov. 18-19.

In October, Putin said he would not attend the Rio de Janeiro summit, claiming he did not want to "disrupt the normal work of the forum."

Lavrov has repeatedly represented Putin at events involving world leaders, including sessions of the U.N. General Assembly and last year's G20 summit in India.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said in September 2023 that the decision to detain Putin at the G20 would be left to his country's judiciary.

Putin visited Mongolia, an ICC member state, in September of this year, his first such visit since his arrest warrant was made public. Despite Mongolia's obligation under international law to arrest Putin, the Russian president received a warm welcome in Ulaanbaatar.

Ukrainian lawmakers described Putin's Mongolia visit as "a well-planned provocation" meant to show his indifference to the rule of law.

Explainer: Why Zelensky slammed the China-Brazil peace plan
A six-point peace plan jointly proposed by China and Brazil sparked a furious outburst from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky this week, who described it as “destructive.” China and Brazil first put forward the plan in May, setting it up as an alternative to Ukraine’s own efforts of initiating…
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