South Africa said on April 12 that an international arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin over the Ukraine war was a "spanner in the works" ahead of a BRICS summit in the country in August. Pretoria, which has close ties with Moscow, has been faced with a diplomatic dilemma since the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant against Putin in March. The Russian president is due to attend a summit of BRICS -- a bloc that includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa -- in South Africa in August. But the host nation is a member of the ICC and would be expected to make the arrest if Putin steps foot in the country.
Putin Arrest Warrant 'Spanner In The Works' For South Africa
![Chinese President Xi Jinping, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, and Russian President Vladimir Putin arrive to pose for a group picture during the 10th BRICS summit in July 2018 in Johannesburg, South Africa.](https://gdb.rferl.org/01000000-c0a8-0242-f651-08db1e24d813_cx2_cy13_cw94_w1080_h608_s.jpg)
Chinese President Xi Jinping, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, and Russian President Vladimir Putin arrive to pose for a group picture during the 10th BRICS summit in July 2018 in Johannesburg, South Africa.