South Africa tries to persuade Vladimir Putin not to come to economic summit

the russian president Vladimir Putin wants to attend an economic summit next month in South Africabut the country is trying to persuade him not to come to avoid the legal and diplomatic problems that would cause, declared the South African vice president.

“It is a dilemma for us. Of course we can’t arrest him.”Vice President Paul Mashatile said in an interview Friday with the News24 news site.

“It’s almost like inviting a friend over to your house and then arresting him. Therefore, for us, the best solution is not to come. The Russians are not happy, they want putin come on”.

South Africa is a signatory to the treaty establishing the International Criminal Court and would therefore be required to arrest putinas the court charged the ruler in March with war crimes for the kidnapping of Ukrainian children.

Moscow has dismissed the arrest warrant. The South African authorities will probably violate the treaty and will not arrest putinBut some opposition parties, human rights groups and activists have insisted that the Russian leader be arrested and have threatened to do so themselves, raising security fears at the BRICS meeting in Johannesburg.

South Africawho has refrained from criticizing Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, faces the possibility of further damaging its relations with the West if it allows putin attend the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) summit

putin he has not yet traveled to any country that is a signatory to the ICC treaty since the arrest warrant was issued against him.

The Kremlin has so far not said whether putin he will go to the BRICS summit, and the brief rebellion by the Wagner Group appears to make it unlikely that the ruler will travel when such a serious threat to his authority has emerged.

(With information from AP)