The Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine previously stated that Brazil, according to the warrant from the International Criminal Court, should arrest Putin if he attends the summit.
In response to a question about whether he fears arrest in Brazil, Putin remarked that "decisions of this kind are very easy to bypass."
"It is enough to sign an intergovernmental agreement – and that's it. The jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court will be limited," Putin noted.
According to him, Russia and Brazil have "very kind, good relations, reliable and stable for many years, decades."
"I have excellent friendly relations with President [Luiz Inácio] Lula [da Silva]. Why would I specifically go there to disrupt the normal functioning of this forum? – Putin pointed out. – Even if we exclude the ICC, discussions will revolve around this, effectively derailing the work of the 'G20'. Why?"
Putin added that Russia will find someone to represent its interests in Brazil at the G20 summit.