(Bloomberg) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin won't attend the Group of 20 summit in India next month, forgoing another gathering of international leaders after he also skipped the meeting of BRICS emerging economies in South Africa this week.
Putin has a “busy schedule,” and his main focus at the moment is prosecuting Russia's war in neighboring Ukraine, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Friday, according to the Interfax news service.
Putin decided against attending the BRICS summit in Johannesburg after the South African hosts made clear they'd be obliged to arrest him for alleged war crimes under a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court. He participated in the meetings via video link. Unlike South Africa, India isn't a signatory to The Hague-based international court.
Read more: Putin, Facing Arrest Risk, to Skip BRICS Summit in South Africa
Putin has rarely left Russia since the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine that sparked a wave of international condemnation and unprecedented sanctions by the US and its allies. He also skipped last year's G-20 summit in Indonesia.
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