Putin’s Recorded BRICS Summit Speech Steals the Spotlight: “Doesn’t Look Like the Real Putin”

• Russian President Vladimir Putin skipped the BRICS summit in Johannesburg, but his pre-recorded video message played for the attendees
• The audience cheered as Ebrahim Patel, the Trade and Industry minister, introduced Putin's message
• The recorded speech sparked mixed opinions from people around the world, with some saying Putin does not look real in the video

SANDTON - Vladimir Putin's absence at the BRICS summit in Johannesburg was notable, yet a pre-recorded message from the Russian president was projected on large screens, to international and local delegates during the opening on Tuesday.

Putin's BRICS summit speech

Ebrahim Patel, the Minister of Trade and Industry, introduced Putin's message, prompting the audience to erupt in applause. In his address, Putin spoke openly about the significance of a robust Brics alliance and criticised the sanctions imposed on Russia by Western nations.

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Brics summit to focus on moving away from Western and US dollar reliance says Minister Pandor

Vladimir Putin wanted for crimes

According to TimesLIVE, Vincent Magwenya, the spokesperson for the Presidency, conveyed that due to a mutual understanding, President Vladimir Putin wouldn't be present at the summit. Instead, the Russian Federation would be represented by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

This decision was made following discussions concerning the potential legal ramifications of Putin's presence in South Africa. This was mainly due to the International Criminal Court (ICC) having issued an arrest warrant for him on charges of "war crimes," stemming from his country's involvement in the Ukraine invasion.

See the video below:

Putin's speech makes waves online

Russian Sniper commented

"Putin in your presence what I hear is only good news. Without you, Africa is just a skeleton. Through you, we discovered the weakness of NATO."

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@tuanmsallay posted:

"A leader with a vision."

@InnocentMan33 stated:

"The cheer from the crowd at the beginning was awesome."

@SylviaBuch76790 said:

"Doesn't look like the real Putin."

@IMO123444 wrote:

"Locked himself in his castle I see."

@Bunt1ngRust asked:

"Why wasn’t he there in person? Oh because he’s a wanted war criminal."

Minister Naledi Pandor clarifies Brics Summit goals, summit will focus on moving away from Western reliance

In a related article, Briefly News reported that the BRICS Summit finally happening. The Minister of International Relations, Naledi Pandor, has clarified some misinterpretations of what BRICS is all about.

While the BRICS Summit will focus on moving away from the reliance on Western countries, the minister says it is not an anti-West agenda.

Source: Briefly News