South Africa's president is reportedly asking the International Criminal Court for exemption from having to arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin if he attends the BRICS summit in Johannesburg next month.

The ICC issued an arrest warrant for Putin in March in connection with Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

South Africa, as a signatory of the ICC, is obliged to arrest Putin if he shows up at the summit of BRICS nations -- Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

Local media and other news outlets quoted South African President Cyril Ramaphosa as telling a local court he has asked the ICC for permission not to arrest Putin.

Ramaphosa reportedly said such an arrest would be a declaration of war against Russia, and that he would be unable to fulfill his constitutional duty to protect national security.

South Africa has long maintained friendly ties with Russia. It has not condemned the country over its invasion of Ukraine, and has remained neutral.

But an opposition party says South Africa must arrest Putin, and has asked a local court to force the authorities to do so.

A senior South African government official told a local media outlet this month that the government asked BRICS members to keep Putin out of the summit, or to move it to China, but that both proposals were rejected.