Putin Blowing Off South Africa Summit to Avoid Possible Arrest After Warrant Issued

Vladimir Putin confirmed he will not attend an economic summit in Johannesburg next month after the South African government faced a dilemma over whether or not to arrest the Russian president on an International Criminal Court warrant.

RadarOnline.com has learned it was a conclusion reached by "mutual agreement," according to a statement from President Cyril Ramaphosa's office, which confirmed Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov would visit instead. The negotiation allows South Africa to avoid a mare's nest over whether or not to arrest the Russian leader.

As we previously reported, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Putin and Russian official Maria Lvova-Belova back in march over an alleged scheme to deport Ukrainian children to his country.

In a court affidavit made public on Tuesday, Ramaphosa said South Africa would risk war with Russia if they arrested Putin at the summit, where the heads of state of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa are set to convene. South Africa is compelled to arrest individuals indicted by the ICC as signatory to the Rome statute.

"An act that would be perceived as a declaration of war by Russia would be reckless," Ramaphosa noted, adding that it would thwart South Africa's effort to broker a peace deal between the warring countries.

Putin will instead participate via video link, said Kremlin spokesman Dmitri S. Peskov.

The Russian politician being MIA at the BRICS summit in August is being viewed as a devastating blow to the Kremlin as it looks to strengthen ties with important allies amid their war against Ukraine.

Although the former intelligence officer will be a no-show, leaders of the other members of the BRICS economic bloc are anticipated to attend the event in person.

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The summit is now just weeks away and sources claim that more turmoil is taking place behind closed doors. Insiders said Putin's inner circle is plotting to oust the Russian leader from power to end the ongoing war in Ukraine, which is quickly approaching the 18-month mark.

Tensions have been rising after the attack on Crimean bridge, which Putin avenged by launching a massive missile and drone attack of Ukrainian cities, including Odessa and Mykolaiv, where a fiery blaze was seen following bombardment from Russian troops.