Putin and Xi Converge in India for High-Stakes BRICS Summit
As Putin and Xi meet in New Delhi, the summit is overshadowed by US policy threats that prevent BRICS from issuing a unified anti-US statement; while the bloc continues to promote local currency payments and alternative financial institutions, deep internal divisions among member states like India and the UAE limit its ability to challenge the White House directly.
GN geopolitics/summit reports that despite Trump's explicit threats of 100% tariffs against any de-dollarization efforts, BRICS members are largely avoiding a coordinated counter-strategy due to internal fractures, with India and the UAE prioritizing their respective diplomatic and security interests over confronting Washington.
Source: GN geopolitics/summitBBC World reports that internal friction within the bloc, particularly between India’s desire to protect ongoing trade talks and Russia’s push for a stronger anti-US stance, makes a coordinated consensus statement against Washington highly unlikely. Analysts suggest any resulting language will remain vague to avoid alienating key members like the UAE, which hosts US military bases and faces regional instability.
Source: BBC WorldDeutsche Welle reports that Prime Minister Modi will hold bilateral talks with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping ahead of the main summit, with energy cooperation and defence at the forefront of the India-Russia agenda. This follows Putin's arrival in Delhi, marking his first in-person BRICS participation outside Russia since 2022.
Source: Deutsche WelleAl Jazeera English reports that Vladimir Putin has arrived at Palam Air Force Station in New Delhi, where he was greeted by Indian officials amid heavy security deployments and traffic restrictions across the capital. The report also notes that Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is making his first visit to the country in eight years, a move analysts suggest will put the Middle East conflict at the center of the summit's agenda.
Source: Al Jazeera EnglishLeaders from Russia, China, and Iran gather in New Delhi as geopolitical tensions over Ukraine and the Middle East threaten to fracture the expanded bloc.
Source: France 24
