Putin denounces sanctions on Russia during his speech for a South Africa economic summit

By GERALD IMRAY and MOGOMOTSI MAGOME
Associated Press

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin has taken multiple shots at the West on the opening day of an economic summit in South Africa. He used a 17-minute prerecorded speech that was aired Tuesday on giant screens to rail at what he called “illegitimate sanctions” placed on his country. He also threatened to cut off Ukraine’s grain exports permanently. Putin is the subject of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant related to the war in Ukraine and didn’t travel to Johannesburg for the summit of the BRICS group of emerging economies. Instead, he plans to participate remotely in the three-day meeting of the bloc that encompasses Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.