BRICS is “not against anyone” but focused on the development and prosperity of its members, Russian President Vladimir Putin said, as world leaders gathered in New Delhi for the grouping’s 18th summit.
Putin made the remarks at the BRICS Business Forum on Friday, part of a packed program of bilateral talks and discussions on trade, investment, energy, and global challenges, before the leaders’ meeting formally opened on Saturday.
“BRICS’ work is not directed against anyone,” Putin said. “It is aimed at only one common goal: the sustainable development and prosperity of our countries and peoples.”
Putin said the group seeks to unlock its members’ potential through “business diplomacy,” making it easier for companies and entrepreneurs to cooperate and invest.
He contrasted this with what he called the West’s “ugly forms” of competition, including unilateral “illegal restrictions” and secondary sanctions against countries “unwilling to follow others’ interests.”
Despite the tensions, Putin stressed that Moscow does not intend to retreat behind political blocs: “We are open to working with the whole world.”
Friday saw Putin hold a flurry of meetings with New Development Bank President Dilma Rousseff, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.
He also held talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and discussed cooperation in trade, energy, defense, space, and other sectors.
Friday’s whirlwind of diplomacy and Indian pageantry set the stage for two days of leaders’ talks. What began as a four-country forum has grown into an 11-member economic heavyweight with increasing global clout as geopolitical tensions mount and the Western-led international order comes under growing pressure.
RT reporters are on the ground in New Delhi covering the 18th BRICS Summit, which runs through Sunday.
Follow the latest developments from New Delhi below.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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