Russian news wires report that South African President Cyril Ramaphosa spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who agreed to meet an African delegation on Ukraine. The Kremlin's press release noted that the two leaders discussed preparations for the BRICS summit in August.

• A SABC reporter said that she understands that "if the summit is going to happen, it is going to happen in South Africa." She added that Russian and Brazilian officials were also insisting that the event takes place in South Africa and involves all five heads of states, but the final decision rests with President Cyril Ramaphosa.
• The President called for patience as he reviews a report prepared by an inter-ministerial committee headed by Deputy President Paul Mashatile. A number of options were floated in local media, ranging from moving the summit to another country to taking the leaders' meeting online. We could get more clarity on the matter as soon as today.