Russian President Vladimir Putin touched down in New Delhi on Friday ahead of a two-day BRICS summit, with the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, along with global trade and energy prices, expected to set the agenda. The Russian leader was received at the airport by India's Minister of External Affairs, Kirti Vardhan Singh, and a ceremonial welcome party.
The gathering brings together the 11-member bloc of emerging economies, which has expanded significantly since its founding in 2009. Alongside Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping is scheduled to attend, marking his first trip to India since 2019. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is also due to arrive on Friday, adding another layer of geopolitical tension to the proceedings.
Modi's balancing act
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to hold bilateral talks with Putin later on Friday, underscoring the importance New Delhi places on its relationship with Moscow. In a social media post ahead of the summit, Modi wrote that the conference would feature "positive and meaningful discussions on various issues, conducted with a view to global welfare." He added, with a nod to diplomatic nuance: "With the virtuous, one may debate and share friendship; with the unvirtuous, one should have no dealings whatsoever."
India has maintained a delicate balancing act since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, avoiding direct condemnation while deepening energy and defence ties with Moscow. That stance has drawn criticism from Western capitals, but New Delhi has defended it as a matter of national interest. The summit offers Modi a chance to reinforce his role as a bridge between the West and the Global South, even as European leaders push for a tougher line on Russia.
The conflict in Ukraine is likely to feature prominently, especially given recent developments on the battlefield. Ukrainian forces have reportedly pushed back Russian troops near Lyman, and Moscow's airports have faced record closures as Kyiv's drone campaign intensifies. These events underscore the volatility that BRICS members must navigate, even as they seek to present a unified front on issues like reforming global financial institutions.
Harsh V. Pant, a foreign policy expert at the Observer Research Foundation in New Delhi, said the Gulf conflict would likely be "the central fault line this time during the BRICS summit." He added: "What was seen until last year as an achievement -- the expansion of BRICS -- today looks like a big constraint on BRICS." The bloc's growing membership, which now includes Iran and Saudi Arabia, brings with it competing interests and rivalries that complicate consensus-building.
The BRICS group markets itself as a forum for "emerging markets and developing countries," with members including Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates. In addition, ten "partner" nations -- Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam -- are now associated with the group, though their role remains undefined.
For European observers, the summit carries particular significance. The EU has been seeking to isolate Russia diplomatically, but the presence of major economies like India and China in the same room as Putin complicates that effort. Recent European actions, such as the EU court's rejection of Hungary's challenge to using frozen Russian assets for Ukraine aid, show the bloc's determination to hold Moscow accountable. Yet the BRICS summit is a reminder that much of the world does not share that view.
Oil and trade will also be high on the agenda. India has become a major buyer of Russian crude, often at discounted prices, which has helped Moscow offset Western sanctions. The summit could see discussions on expanding trade in local currencies, a move that would further erode the dollar's dominance in global markets.
As the leaders gather, the contrast between the bloc's ambitions and its internal divisions is stark. The expansion that was once hailed as a diplomatic triumph now presents practical challenges, as members with conflicting geopolitical alignments try to find common ground. For Putin, the summit is an opportunity to project influence and counter Western narratives. For Modi, it is a chance to demonstrate India's growing global role. And for the rest of the world, it is a reminder that the post-Cold War order is giving way to a more fragmented, multipolar landscape.
