‘Hostile’ Emmanuel Macron is not welcome at Brics summit, says Russia

Moscow — French President Emmanuel Macron would be an inappropriate guest at the Brics summit, the RIA news agency quoted Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov as saying on Thursday, criticising countries whose policies Russia considers hostile.

The Brics group of emerging economies, comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and SA, is due to hold a summit in Johannesburg in August.

Asked about Macron’s reported desire to attend the summit, Ryabkov said: “Clearly, leaders of states that pursue such a hostile and unacceptable policy towards us, discussing with such emphasis and conviction that Russia should be isolated on the international stage, and share the common Nato line on inflicting a so-called strategic defeat on us — such a leader is an inappropriate Brics guest.

“And we are not hiding this approach of ours, we have told our colleagues from SA. We expect that our point of view will be fully accepted,” Ryabkov was quoted as saying.

SA is currently mulling its legal options if Russian President Vladimir Putin decides to attend the Brics summit because the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Putin in March over the Ukraine conflict.

SA is an ICC member and would theoretically be required to arrest him if he attends the Brics summit.

Reuters