link to article(s): https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/19/world/putin-brics-summit-south-africa-intl/index.html
Summary: Given his arrest warrant issued by the ICC, Russian President Vladimir Putin attended the annual BRICS summit virtually. Due to the warrant and the alleged war crime allegations against Putin South Africa would be forced to detain him. Meaning once he leaves Russia, it’s fair play. The president of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, addressed Russia’s definite response to the imprisonment of their president; war. As a result, many South African officials had talked to Putin informing him to stay in Russia and part take in the meeting virtually. Putin’s presence would likely increase the likelihood of conflict in South Africa along with the risk of engaging in war.
Analysis: Putin’s absence from the summit, in my opinion, might have an impact on how things turn out. As a leader of a world power, not attending big events/meetings people tend to notice.It was wise of him to virtually attend the BRICS summit due to the ICC warrant. It helped South Africa avoid going to war with Russia over the mere fact that Putin had stepped foot on their soil. Although issues do run much deeper than that, the underlying assumption was that if Putin were to leave Russian territory he could be imprisoned. Even though it didn’t necessarily result in the formation of a stronger relationship between South Africa and Russia, the peaceful compromise did foster a good understanding and placed the foundation for effective communication between not only Russia and South Africa but every nation that attended the summit.
Connection to class: The relationship between South Africa and Russia relates to international relations due to the partnership between the countries. The BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) main purpose is to promote the of national currencies for international trade. Since both Russia and South Africa are apart of BRICS they have a strong diplomatic relationship. Cooperation between the two can greatly impact politics, trade and diplomacy. Their mutual understanding allows for them to avoid going to war in this situation. It kept the peace between the two countries and having that communication and that relationship with each other benefits both countries greatly.