Will he or won't he? Putin's attendance at BRICS summit in S. Africa remains unconfirmed

Kremlin has stated that Russian President Vlimir Putin will make a decision on wher to attend a BRICS conference in South Africa in August closer to event. Notably, South Africa, which maintains friendly relations with Russia, would be required to arrest Putin as a party to International Criminal Court (ICC), which has issued a warrant for his arrest over alleged war crimes in March.

When asked about Putin's potential attendance at BRICS conference, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that "appropriate decisions will be me closer to time." According to a report from Sky News, Peskov also emphasised that Russia will actively participate in conference, describing BRICS as a significant association. BRICS group includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, and is often seen as a powerful emerging-market alternative to Western countries. 

International Criminal Court and its power

International Criminal Court [ICC] is a judicial institution established by Rome Statute, a multilateral treaty opted in 1998, with goal of prosecuting individuals responsible for most serious crimes that concern international community as a whole, such as genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and crime of aggression.

ICC is hequartered in Hague, Nerlands, and operates independently from United Nations [UN] although it has a cooperative relationship with UN. It is composed of four main organs: Presidency, Judicial Divisions, Office of Prosecutor, and Registry. ICC has jurisdiction over crimes committed on territory of states parties to Rome Statute, or by nationals of states parties, or crimes that are referred to it by UN Security Council.

One of key questions regarding ICC's powers is wher it can force arrest of a he of state. According to Rome Statute, ICC has jurisdiction over individuals, regardless of ir official capacity, including hes of state or government. However, re are practical and legal challenges when it comes to arresting and prosecuting sitting hes of state.

ICC does not have its own enforcement mechanism and relies on states for arrest and surrender of suspects. States that are parties to Rome Statute are legally obligated to cooperate with ICC, including arrest and surrender of suspects. However, some states may refuse to cooperate, citing concerns about sovereignty, political considerations, or or reasons.