Russian President Vladimir Putin said today that the words of Ukrainian President <a href="https://time.news/mega-storm-hits-southern-russia-and-ukraine/" title="“Mega storm” hits southern Russia and Ukraine“>Volodymyr Zelensky, who proposed yesterday in Brussels that Ukraine somehow obtain nuclear weapons, as a “dangerous provocation”, reported France Press.
Putin said he does not plan to participate in the G20 meeting in Brazil scheduled for November 18-19, AFP reported.
The Russian leader said his decision was dictated by his reluctance to disrupt the meeting, as he was the subject of an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
“We understand very well that even if we exclude the ICC factor, the whole discussion will revolve around this. In this way, we will disturb the work of the G-20. Why should we do it? We are big people,” Putin said at a meeting with foreign journalists.
Putin said that Russia will choose a suitable representative to take part in the meeting in Brazil. In previous years, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov represented Russia in G-20 meetings, DPA notes.
In March last year, the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Putin on suspicion of illegally deporting Ukrainian children to Russia.
Countries that recognize the jurisdiction of the ICC, one of which is Brazil, are in theory obliged to arrest Putin if he steps onto their territory.
At the beginning of September, however, Vladimir Putin was not arrested in Mongolia, which also recognizes the jurisdiction of the ICC.
The Netherlands-based ICC has said that countries that recognize its jurisdiction are obliged to comply with arrest warrants issued by it. However, in case of non-compliance, the sanctions against the parties are expressed mainly in verbal reprimands.
Vladimir Putin said today that the words of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who proposed yesterday in Brussels that Ukraine somehow acquire nuclear weapons, as a “dangerous provocation”, reported France Press.
“This is a dangerous provocation. Any attempt in this direction will lead to the corresponding reaction,” Putin told foreign journalists.
The Russian leader said he did not know whether Ukraine was capable of producing a nuclear weapon, but admitted it was “not difficult in this modern world”.
“I can say that Russia will not allow this to happen under any circumstances,” Putin said.
In his speech yesterday in Brussels, Volodymyr Zelensky suggested that his country acquire nuclear weapons to deter Moscow if Ukraine is not accepted into NATO, writes BTA.