Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Friday that he would not attend the upcoming G20 summit in Brazil, scheduled for November, stating that his presence could "disrupt" the event. Putin emphasized that the decision was not influenced by the International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant issued against him for alleged war crimes in Ukraine.

Speaking ahead of the BRICS summit in Russia, Putin explained that his attendance at the G20 would overshadow the forum's agenda. "The conversations would only be about this [the ICC warrant]," he said, adding that his arrival could "wreck" the summit’s proceedings.

Despite the ICC warrant, Putin dismissed concerns about being arrested in Brazil, citing strong bilateral relations between Russia and Brazil. He suggested that such issues could be resolved through intergovernmental agreements, making arrests unlikely.

Putin skipped a BRICS meeting in South Africa earlier this year but traveled to Mongolia in September without incident, even though Mongolia is a member of the ICC. He assured that Russia would send a capable representative to the G20 to uphold the country’s interests.

The ICC issued the warrant in 2022, accusing Putin of the illegal deportation of Ukrainian children amid Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine.