Lula opts out of BRICS summit in Russia due to health concerns
Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has called off his visit to the BRICS summit in Russia due to health issues. Lula will attend the gathering in Kazan via video link, his office revealed on Sunday night, avoiding disclosing the specifics. Reports from various news outlets assert that Lula, aged 78, had a fall in his home bathroom on Saturday evening.
Subsequent reports hinted at stitches being administered to a head wound in the hospital. Lula's office assures that the president will continue with his usual tasks for the week.
The BRICS summit set to take place in Russian Kazan along the Volga from October 22 to 24 is also poised to welcome delegates from Ethiopia, Iran, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates. The Russian President Vladimir Putin, under international sanctions, aims to be seen with at least some international colleagues within his national bounds. The BRICS alliance derives its name from the initials of its initial members - Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa; additional countries have since joined.
This would have been Lula's first conference with Putin in 2023. In September, he had a phone conversation with the Russian president to present a joint Brazilian-Chinese peace plan for Ukraine.
Putin, in turn, called off his intended trip to the G20 summit in Brazil in November, claiming his presence would divert attention from the meeting's primary topics. He underscored that the global arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC) was not the primary factor influencing his decision.
An arrest warrant against Putin has been pending since March 2023 from the ICC, obliging member states to apprehend the Russian president if he's on their territory. However, Brazil is an ICC member, whereas Russia is not.
Despite the health incident, Lula's office confirmed his intention to participate in the travel plans for the BRICS summit via video link. The BRICS summit, including Lula and several other leaders, is expected to discuss various international affairs.
