Spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, Matthew Miller, stated during a briefing that the refusal of the Russian dictator Vladimir Putin to personally attend the BRICS summit signifies a significant deterioration in Russia’s authority on the world stage.
“There is no better example, no better illustration of a significant deterioration in Russia’s authority in the world than the fact that President Putin is unlikely to be able to leave the country now,” he said.
He added that the Kremlin’s decision to wage war against Ukraine has been a strategic defeat for the Russian dictator.
Yesterday, on July 19th, the press service of the President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, announced that instead of Putin, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will attend the BRICS summit in South Africa on August 22nd. They stated that the Kremlin dictator will not be able to be present at the event due to the International Criminal Court’s issued arrest warrant against him.