Putin Cancels G20 Attendance Over Arrest Warrant

Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced he will not attend the upcoming G20 summit in Brazil, stating that his presence would disrupt the conference's agenda, particularly due to the International Criminal Court's (ICC) arrest warrant issued against him for alleged war crimes in Ukraine. He emphasized that even excluding the ICC warrant, discussions at the summit would inevitably center around his presence, which he deemed counterproductive. Ukraine's Prosecutor General has urged Brazil to execute the arrest warrant if Putin attends, highlighting the importance of holding him accountable for war crimes. Putin also suggested that Russia could negotiate an agreement with Brazil to bypass the ICC's jurisdiction if necessary. While Brazil has invited him, there was no indication of his intentions to attend, and Kremlin officials have yet to confirm any decision on the matter.