South African media is reporting that the country is mulling forfeiting its role as host of this year's BRICS summit due to growing pressure from the West over the ICC arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

It was on March 17 that the International Criminal Court issued the arrest warrant on charges of war crimes, which "requires" countries party to the Rome Statute to make the arrest. South Africa as a signatory would be under obligation, but non-signatories like China or India are not under obligation.

The 15th BRICS summit is currently set to take place in South Africa's Durban in late August this year, but controversy over plans of President Putin to travel in person has cast a cloud over the event.