The ICC issued an arrest warrant against Putin in March, accusing him of the war crime of illegally deporting hundreds of children from Ukraine, which Russia denies. / Photo: Reuters Archive
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said that Russian leader Vladimir Putin would not be arrested in Brazil if he attended the Group of 20 meeting in Rio de Janeiro next year. Interviewed on the sidelines of the G20 meeting in New Delhi by news show Firstpost, Lula said on Saturday that Putin would be invited to next year's event, adding that he himself planned to attend a BRICS bloc of developing nations meeting due in Russia before the Rio meeting.
"I believe that Putin can go easily to Brazil," Lula said."What I can say to you is that if I'm president of Brazil, and he comes to Brazil, there's no way he will be arrested."