BRAZIL. Rio De Janeiro: Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has made a firm statement, assuring that Russian President Vladimir Putin will not be subject to arrest if he chooses to attend the Group of 20 summit scheduled for Rio de Janeiro in the coming year.
In an interview, President Lula expressed his intention to extend an invitation to Putin for the upcoming event. Additionally, he revealed his plans to participate in a meeting of the BRICS bloc, consisting of developing nations, in Russia prior to the Rio summit.
Lula asserted, “I believe that Putin can easily come to Brazil. What I can assure you, as the potential president of Brazil, is that if he visits Brazil, there is no possibility of his arrest.”
In March, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Putin, accusing him of involvement in the unlawful deportation of numerous children from Ukraine.
Russia vehemently denied these allegations, asserting that its military had not committed war crimes or forcibly removed Ukrainian children.
Putin has notably avoided attending international meetings, including the G20 gathering in Delhi, where he sent Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as Russia’s representative.
It’s worth noting that Brazil is a signatory to the Rome Statute, which led to the establishment of the ICC. However, the G20 nations reached a consensus on Saturday, urging all states to refrain from using force to seize territory but refraining from explicitly denouncing Russia for its role in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
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