South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa said that any attempt to arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin when he visits the country next month would be a declaration of war with Russia.
In court papers that were released on Tuesday, President Ramaphosa is quoted to have said “Russia has made it clear that arresting its sitting President would be a declaration of war.”
Russia’s President who has been invited to a BRICS summit in Johannesburg next month, is the target of an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant.
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As a member of the ICC, South Africa would be expected to implement the warrant, were President Putin to attend the summit.
South Africa’s diplomatic dilemma is playing out in court, where the leading opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), is trying to force the government’s hand and ensure the Kremlin leader is held and handed over to the ICC if he steps foot in the country.
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