BRICS ‘not against anyone,’ Putin says as summit opens

READ MORE: BRICS 2026: Why India’s diplomacy-first approach matters in a polarized world

As BRICS leaders gather in New Delhi, India is seeking to position itself as a diplomatic bridge in an increasingly polarized world. New Delhi has maintained ties with opposing sides in major conflicts, resisted Western pressure over Russian oil, and repeatedly called for dialogue rather than military solutions.

RT looks at how India’s ‘diplomacy-first’ approach has shaped its response to the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East – and what it could mean for the BRICS Summit.

BRICS can withstand external pressure and continue to expand because it offers countries of the Global South an alternative platform based on mutual respect rather than Western dominance, Indian MP Sujeet Kumar told RT.

Speaking on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in New Delhi, the BJP lawmaker stressed that the group is “non-West, but it is not anti-West,” arguing that Washington’s perception of BRICS as anti-American is “its problem, not the problem of BRICS.” 

Kumar said the group seeks greater representation for developing nations in global institutions, arguing that the existing governance architecture no longer reflects the economic and demographic realities. He cited growing BRICS membership and interest from other countries as evidence of demand for greater economic resilience, diversified supply chains, and a stronger voice for the Global South.

READ MORE: Why India and China are talking again

Relations between China and India have steadily improved since a breakthrough meeting between President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the BRICS Summit in Kazan in 2024.

High-level contacts have resumed, progress has been made on managing their disputed border, direct flights have returned, and bilateral trade has reached record levels.

As the two leaders prepare to meet again at the BRICS Summit in New Delhi, RT’s Marina Kosareva looks at how relations between the Asian powers have evolved.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has arrived in India for the BRICS Summit. His two-day visit is expected to include talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

No formal meeting between Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin is scheduled, although the two leaders could hold an informal conversation on the sidelines.

READ MORE: 20 years of BRICS: From Wall Street acronym to global power center

This year’s gathering has particular significance – 20 years ago, in September 2006, the foreign ministers of Brazil, Russia, India, and China met for the first time on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. Known at the time as ‘BRIC’, the fledgling group was widely seen as a political experiment with an uncertain future.

Two decades later, it has expanded into an economic heavyweight with growing global influence. RT looks at how BRICS went from a four-country forum to a major force challenging the old global order.

READ MORE: We’re on the brink of a world war that ends with nuclear weapons – Carlson to GU (EXCLUSIVE)

Western efforts to isolate Russia have instead accelerated the shift of economic power toward BRICS and undermined the dollar’s global position, American journalist Tucker Carlson says.

Carlson told Afshin Rattansi’s Going Underground that cutting off Russia from the SWIFT financial system after the escalation of the Ukraine conflict gave other countries a powerful incentive to reduce reliance on the dollar.

“If we’re using the US dollar as a weapon of war, there’s no greater incentive for countries to de-dollarize,” he said. “That’s crazy. It’s self-destructive behavior.”

Carlson also argued that US, British, and German policies ultimately weakened the countries pursuing them. “This is self-harm we’re watching,” he said, adding that the effect has been “to dethrone the West” and “topple the American empire.”

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has held separate meetings with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in New Delhi.

Pezeshkian arrived in New Delhi on Friday and met with the host, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, hours later, ahead of Saturday’s main summit program.

Modi has met with Ethiopia’s Abiy on the sidelines of the summit as well, hailing his first visit to India as taking an “old friendship into new frontiers.”

In a post on X, Modi said the talks covered defense, investment, critical minerals, clean energy, healthcare, and capacity building, with the two sides pledging to work on strengthening India-Africa ties and “amplify the voice of the Global South.”

Modi also welcomed Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan for talks on the sidelines of the gathering.

The two discussed strengthening the India-UAE strategic partnership, including cooperation in trade, investment, technology, energy, and defense, as well as regional and global developments.

Khaled is leading the UAE delegation at the summit on behalf of President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The UAE joined BRICS as a full member in 2024.

BRICS members agree on strengthening national currencies and expanding their use in mutual trade, but remain divided over a single currency, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on the sidelines of the summit in New Delhi.

“There are different opinions” within BRICS, Araghchi told reporters. “All members of the group believe that national currencies should be strengthened and trade between member states should be conducted in national currencies.”

A common BRICS currency, however, “is still under consideration,” he added.