Russian Foreign Ministry called Macron an “inappropriate” guest at the upcoming BRICS summit

French President Emmanuel Macron is an “inappropriate” guest at the upcoming BRICS summit, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said.

“It is clear that the leader of a state that is pursuing such a policy that is so hostile and unacceptable to us, argues so strongly and with conviction that Russia needs to be actively isolated internationally, shares the all-NATO line of inflicting a so-called strategic defeat on us, such a leader is inappropriate as guest to BRICS,” Ryabkov said (quote by Interfax).

The Deputy Minister added that the Foreign Ministry has already notified South Africa, which is the host of the summit, about this. At the same time, he noted that it is “the business of the host country to determine the circle of invitees.” “But it is no less important that the invitation should be preceded by consultations among all BRICS participants,” Ryabkov specified.

The BRICS summit (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) will be held in South Africa from 22 to 24 August. At the end of March, the South African Foreign Ministry reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin had been invited to the summit.

On March 17, the Criminal Court in The Hague issued an arrest warrant for Putin and Russia’s children’s rights ombudsman, Maria Lvova-Belova. Peskov said that the decisions of the ICC have no legal force and are void. Three days after the issuance of the warrant, the Russian Investigative Committee opened a criminal case against ICC prosecutor Karim Ahmad Khan, as well as judges Tomoko Akane, Rosario Salvatore Aytala and Sergio Gerardo Ugalde Godinez.

June 15 Ryabkov declaredthat Moscow hopes to grant immunity to the Russian president during the summit. The Deputy Minister also stressed that the Russian side considers the decision of the ICC to arrest Putin legally null and void and provocative.

Press Secretary of the President of Russia Dmitry Peskov noted that Putin would make a decision on a trip to the summit “closer to the point”, and stressed that Russia “in any case will actively participate” in the work of the BRICS, because he considers “this is a very important association, relevance which is constantly rising.