Ukraine Urges Brazil To Arrest Russian President Putin If Present At The G20 Summit Next Month

JAKARTA - Ukraine's attorney general said he had received intelligence information indicating Russian President Vladimir Putin might attend the G20 summit in Brazil next month, asking authorities there to issue an arrest warrant if he appears.

Ukrainian Attorney General Andriy Kostin said in an interview "it is important for the international community to unite and hold Putin accountable."

"As it is informed that Putin may attend the G20 summit in Brazil, I would like to reiterate that Brazil's authority as a state of Rome's Statutes is obliged to arrest him if he dares to visit," Kostin told Reuters. October 15, referring to the agreement that formed the International Criminal Court (ICC).

"I really hope Brazil will arrest him, reaffirm his status as a democratic country and a country regulated by law," he said.

Failure to do so risks creating precedents where leaders accused of crimes can travel without punishment, he said.

The ICC in The Hague, Netherlands issued a warrant for Putin in March 2023, about a year after Russia's massive invasion of Ukraine, accusing it of war crimes by deporting children.

Russia denies allegations of war crimes and the Kremlin has rejected the ICC warrant as "legal after law".

When asked if a decision had been made about whether Putin would attend a meeting of 20 world-leading economies, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday: "Not yet. When a decision is made, we will let you know."

Brazil sent an invitation to President Putin to attend the G20 Summit on November 18-19 in Rio de Janeiro, but has not yet received any indication that the Krempin leader plans to attend, according to two Brazilian government officials.

The ICC prosecutor's office declined to comment.

Meanwhile, a court spokesman reiterated that the court relies on the state and other partners to carry out their decisions, including arrest warrants.

Member states "have an obligation to cooperate in accordance with" the court's stance agreement, spokesman Fadi El Abdallah said.

Among the six Russian officials who were targeted by the ICC warrant were the commissioner of children's rights, Maria Lvova-Belova, former defense minister Sergei Shoigu, and Viktor Sokolov and Sergey Kobylash, who were accused of directing attacks on civilian locations.

Despite the ICC order, President Putin in September made an official state visit to Mongolia. Ukraine at that time criticized its failure to arrest it as a blow to international justice.

Last year, President Putin did not attend a meeting of BRICS countries physically in South Africa, choosing to attend online.