On Wednesday, Russia said it did not tell South Africa that arresting Putin on a warrant from the ICC would mean “war”.

South Africa is due to host a summit of Brics nations – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – next month. But the ICC has an arrest warrant out for Putin, accusing him of the war crime of deporting Ukrainian children to Russia. South Africa, as an ICC member, is obliged to arrest him should he appear in person at the summit.