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.