/RUSSIA: S. Africa Confirms Inviting Putin To August BRICS Summit

South African International Relations and Cooperation Minister Naledi Pandor confirmed that Russian President Vladimir Putin has been invited to attend the 15th BRICS summit in Johannesburg on August 22-24.

• “President Putin is one of the heads of BRICS and is invited to the summit and I think the ICC warrant is a matter of concern,” South Africa's chief diplomat said on the sidelines of a state visit by the Belgian monarch.
• "South Africa is a member state of the International Criminal Court and so we will have to have a discussion in the context of cabinet to decide how we respond," she told reporters, while pointing to "double standards in global affairs."
• Pandor's comments convey a somewhat different message than an earlier guarded statement from President Cyril Ramaphosa's spokesperson, who noted that South Africa is "aware of its legal obligations" over the arrest warrant for Putin.
• It is unclear if Putin will attend the Johannesburg summit, although it presents an attractive diplomatic and propaganda opportunity, as he is trying to cast doubt on the West's claims pointing to Russia's (and his own) increasing international isolation.
• A failure to comply with the ICC's arrest warrant would not be unprecedented. Back in 2015, South Africa ignored the International Criminal Court's request to detain Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir when he was in the country.