The alleged real reason why Russian President Vladimir Putin might be able to avoid arrest should he make a planned trip to South Africa in August is because a U.S.-sanctioned Russian oligarch is accused of striking dodgy deals with South African politicians while the sun is shining.
Oligarch Viktor Vekselberg, who is rumored to be close to Putin, has been charged with repeatedly funding the ANC, the country’s ruling party.
Cyril Ramaphosa, the president of the ANC and the president of South Africa, has so far refrained from taking action to detain the Russian leader should he visit Cape Town as planned in August. Because it claims to be “friends” with Moscow, Ramaphosa’s government has repeatedly abstained from speaking out at the U.N. against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
South African relations with the United States are tenuous at best. An epic diplomatic disaster has occurred. Inciting outrage, the International Criminal Court (ICC) demanded that nations that have ratified the court, including South Africa, arrest Putin if he steps foot on their soil and accused him of committing war crimes against Ukrainian children.
