**Russian Foreign Minister to Lead G20 Delegation**
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will lead the country‘s delegation to the Group of Twenty (G20) summit in Brazil. This is instead of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who faces an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court.
The reason for this change is that Brazil is a member of the ICC and must detain Putin if he enters the country. Russia had previously invited Putin to the G20 meeting, which will take place in Rio de Janeiro on November 18-19. However, Putin said last month that he wouldn’t attend due to concerns about disrupting the event.
**Repeated Representation**
This is not the first time Lavrov has represented Putin at high-profile events. He has previously stood in for the Russian president at sessions of the United Nations General Assembly and a G20 summit in India.
Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has said that his country’s judiciary will decide what to do if Putin attends the G20 meeting. However, Ukrainian lawmakers have described Putin’s possible attendance as “a well-planned provocation”.
**Other Developments**
In September, Putin visited Mongolia, another ICC member state. Despite being under arrest warrant, he received a warm welcome in Ulaanbaatar. This visit was seen as a way for Putin to show his indifference to the rule of law.
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