Putin and Lavrov speak at BRICS summit in Brazil: As it happened

BRICS is seeking to create “a more stable global economic architecture that is built on the principles of universality, transparency and non-discrimination,” the Russian foreign minister said. The goal requires a fundamental reform of international institutions that long since degraded into neo-colonial tools, Lavrov stressed.

“The continued use of the [International Monetary Fund] and [World Bank] with a view to preserve neo-colonial practices is unacceptable. A similar situation is unfolding in the [World Trade Organization] as well. Years-long blocking of the WTO dispute-settlement body and introduction of new discriminatory measures against developing countries … inflict serious damage to global trade,” he stressed.

The emerging multipolar world is “not a choice but rather an objective reality,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at the second session of the summit. A new model is set to succeed “the outdated neo-liberal model that actually builds on neo-colonial practices” dominated by “ the so-called developed states of the West,” he added. 

“Economic crises of recent decades have been the first signs of this model’s malfunctions. The Covid-19 pandemic has exposed countless disadvantages of the global trade and finance system and accelerated its fragmentation. The erosion of the global economic world order has been exacerbated as a result of illegitimate unilateral sanctions and use of the [US] dollar as a means of punishment,” Russia’s top diplomat stated.

The group has officially welcomed its newest member, Indonesia, as well as named ten partner countries, according to the joint statement adopted at the summit. Here is the list of the official partners of BRICS:

• Belarus
• Bolivia
• Kazakhstan
• Cuba
• Nigeria
• Malaysia
• Thailand
• Vietnam
• Uganda
• Uzbekistan

The Russian delegation led by top diplomat Sergey Lavrov has met with India’s delegation headed by Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, the Russian Foreign Ministry has said.

©  The Russian Foreign Ministry

The group has unequivocally condemned the strikes recently unleashed by Israel on Iran, expressing “grave concern over the subsequent escalation of the security situation in the Middle East.”

“We condemn the military strikes against the Islamic Republic of Iran since June 13, 2025, which constitute a violation of international law and the Charter of the United Nations,” the BRICS member states said in a joint statement. “In this context, we reiterate our support for diplomatic initiatives aimed at addressing regional challenges. We call upon the United Nations Security Council to be seized of this matter.”

Next year’s BRICS summit will take place in India, the members of the group said in a joint statement. The document was adopted by the BRICS leaders during the plenary session of the summit.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is holding a string of bilateral meetings with fellow top diplomats from other BRICS countries and partner states. Thus far, Lavrov has held talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Brazil’s top diplomat, Mauro Vieira, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry.

©  The Russian Foreign Ministry

South Africa remains “gravely concerned” about the deteriorating security situation in the Middle East, the country’s president, Cyril Ramaphosa, has said, invoking the recent conflict between Israel and Iran. 

“The recent attacks by Israel and the United States on the Islamic Republic of Iran raise serious concerns of international law, including the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and the protection of civilians,” he told the plenary session.

The UN Security Council must be expanded with new permanent members, the Brazilian president has said, arguing that the global body has long lost its credibility and effectively become paralyzed. Delaying the reform of the Security Council only “makes the world more unstable and dangerous,” Lula warned.  

“Every day we spend with an outdated and exclusionary international structure is a day lost in solving the serious crises that afflict humanity,” he stated, arguing that new permanent members from Asia, Africa, and Latin America and the Caribbean should be added.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has criticized a recent NATO decision to sharply increase its defense spending, accusing the members of the US-led bloc of neglecting their global commitments.  

“It is easier to allocate 5% of GDP to military spending than to fulfill the 0.7% promised for official development assistance. This shows that the resources to implement the 2030 Agenda do exist, but they are not made available due to a lack of political will. It is always easier to invest in war than in peace,” the summit’s host stated.