World leaders, including China's Xi Jinping and India's Narendra Modi, arrived in Kazan, Russia, on Tuesday for a summit of the BRICS bloc, aimed at countering Western influence in global affairs. The three-day gathering presents Russian President Vladimir Putin with a significant opportunity to showcase the failures of U.S.-led efforts to isolate Russia due to its actions in Ukraine.
Kremlin foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov described the summit as “the largest foreign policy event ever held” in Russia, with participation from 36 countries, over 20 of which are represented by heads of state. Initially comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, the alliance has recently expanded to include Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia. Azerbaijan, and Malaysia have formally applied for membership, while others have expressed interest, Analysts view the BRICS summit as part of Russia’s strategy to demonstrate support from the Global South amidst rising tensions with the West, while also seeking to strengthen economic and financial partnerships.
Proposed initiatives include establishing a new payment system to provide an alternative to the global banking messaging network SWIFT, helping Russia circumvent Western sanctions and trade with its partners.
Putin is scheduled for approximately 20 bilateral meetings during the summit, where he engaged with Xi, Modi, and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Tuesday prior to the official opening. Xi and Putin had previously declared a “no-limits” partnership shortly before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, meeting twice this year in Beijing and Kazakhstan.
