President Vladimir Putin will not be attending the upcoming BRICS summit in Brazil next month, as revealed by the Kremlin on Wednesday, due to an outstanding arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The ICC, based in The Hague, issued the warrant in March 2023, accusing Putin of the unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Kremlin advisor Yuri Ushakov informed reporters that Putin will participate in the BRICS heads of state summit in Rio de Janeiro on July 6-7 via video conference.

“This decision is a result of certain complications related to the ICC’s stipulations,” Ushakov stated.

Putin often promotes BRICS as a balance against Western influence in global matters.

The group, named after its founding members Brazil, Russia, India, and China, serves as an informal political and economic coalition focused on enhancing collaboration, though it does not operate as a formal trading entity.

As a signatory to the ICC, Brazil would be required to detain Putin if he were to attend the summit.

Last year, the Russian president made a prominent visit to Mongolia—also an ICC member—as a display of defiance following the arrest warrant. This trip faced backlash from both the ICC and the European Union for permitting his entry into the country.