Putin to skip BRICS summit in South Africa
Russian President Vladimir Putin will not be traveling to South Africa for the upcoming BRICS summit, according to a statement from the Kremlin. The summit is scheduled to take place on July 26-27 in Johannesburg.
The Kremlin said that Putin’s decision was made due to “logistical reasons.” However, the statement did not elaborate on what those reasons were.
Putin’s absence from the summit is a significant blow to BRICS, which is a grouping of five major emerging economies: Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. The summit is seen as an opportunity for the leaders of these countries to discuss and coordinate their policies on a range of issues, including the global economy, security, and climate change.
The Kremlin said that Putin would be represented at the summit by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Lavrov is expected to deliver a speech on behalf of Russia.
The BRICS summit comes at a time of heightened tensions between Russia and the West over the war in Ukraine. The United States and its allies have imposed a number of sanctions on Russia in response to the invasion, and the Kremlin has warned that it could retaliate.
It is unclear how Putin’s absence from the summit will affect the BRICS agenda. However, it is likely that the summit will be dominated by discussions about the war in Ukraine and its impact on the global economy.
