Why Putin is skipping the BRICS summit—The ICC warrant explained

Russian President Vladimir Putin will not attend the BRICS summit in Brazil next week due to the active International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant against him.

The announcement came on Wednesday, June 25, 2025, from Kremlin foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov, who confirmed that Putin will participate via video link instead.

According to Ushakov, Brazil was unable to provide legal guarantees that would protect Putin from arrest under ICC obligations.

Brazil is a signatory to the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the ICC.

This legal framework obligates its members to detain individuals wanted by the court if they enter the country.

The ICC issued a warrant in March 2023, accusing Putin of the war crime of deporting Ukrainian children following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

The Kremlin has consistently denied the allegations and declared the warrant “null and void.”

However, legal exposure remains a real risk if Putin travels internationally.

This is not the first time Putin has altered his travel plans because of the ICC warrant.

In 2023, he skipped the BRICS summit in South Africa for similar reasons.

Despite that, he later made a high-profile visit to Mongolia, another ICC member state, without facing arrest.

This year’s BRICS summit, set for July 6–7, will proceed without the physical presence of both Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang will lead China’s delegation, while Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will represent Moscow in person.

The absence of Putin at such a high-level gathering reflects the diplomatic challenges facing Russia amid ongoing international sanctions and criminal charges.

It also raises questions about the functioning of BRICS as a geopolitical bloc, with key leaders unable or unwilling to attend in person.

Despite this, Ushakov said Russia remains committed to BRICS cooperation and global multilateralism.

Observers see the move as both a symbolic retreat and a strategic decision, balancing diplomacy with legal caution as Russia navigates heightened global scrutiny.

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