Context

In March 2023, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin, accusing him of war crimes and forcibly deporting children from Russian-occupied territory in Ukraine. South Africa, scheduled to host the annual BRICS summit in August 2023, is a signatory of the ICC’s founding Rome statute that binds each ICC member state to assist with international prosecution. Vladimir Putin has been formally invited to the BRICS Summit in January but neither South Africa nor Russia have confirmed his physical attendance. On May 30, the Kremlin announced that "Russia will participate in the BRICS summit at an appropriate level". The South African government finds itself at international crossroads as a result of both its ICC and BRICS membership, long-standing relations with Russia, as well as its important trade ties with the U.S. While the Russian President’s attendance is as uncertain as South Africa’s compliance with the ICC warrant, enforcing it could lead to a pivotal change in South Africa’s complex international balancing position.