Putin absence is a win for Ramaphosa: analyst

JOHANNESBURG - Vladimir Putin's absence from next month's BRICS summit is a win for President Cyril Ramaphosa.

This is according to international relations expert Brooks Spector.

READ: Putin opts out of Brics summit

He says it will help patch strained relations between South Africa and the United States.

"You have to give Cyril Ramaphosa a win on this one and maybe not a full complete total one but it's a win, but because it took a long time to get to this position, but its a win.

"The problem for me always has been it's a win in service of what exactly?

READ: BRICS summit to be 'physical' despite Putin warrant: S.Africa

"I've never been convinced that this BRICS formula is, in fact, a real international movement and I do think that South Africa spends much more of its foreign policy energy on the concept of BRICS than any of it's so called partners do," he said.

"Certainly not in China or Russia or India for that matter, but it takes some of the pressure off of the issues that get in the way of better relationships with the US on the part South Africa, although there is still the unresolved matter of what exactly was on the Lady R as it pulled out the harbour."