Two dozen world leaders are gathering in Russia on Tuesday for the opening of a summit of the BRICS group, an alliance of emerging economies that the Kremlin hopes will challenge Western "hegemony”.
The summit is the largest such meeting in Russia since it ordered troops into Ukraine and comes as Russian President Vladimir Putin seeks to demonstrate that Western attempts to isolate Moscow over the two-and-a-half-year offensive have failed.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan—all key partners for Russia—are scheduled to attend the summit, hosted in the city of Kazan from October 22 to 24. Xi was reported to be en route to the meeting by the Chinese state news agency Xinhua on Tuesday.
Moscow has made expanding the BRICS group—an acronym for its core members: Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa—a pillar of its foreign policy.
The main issues on the agenda include Putin's proposal for a BRICS-led payment system to rival SWIFT, the international financial network from which Russian banks were cut off in 2022, as well as the escalating conflict in the Middle East.
The Kremlin has touted the gathering as a diplomatic triumph that will help it build an alliance to challenge Western "hegemony."
'Brick by Brick'
The United States has dismissed the notion that BRICS could become a "geopolitical rival" but has expressed concern about Moscow flexing its diplomatic muscle as the Ukraine conflict rages.
Moscow has been steadily advancing on the battlefield in eastern Ukraine this year while strengthening its ties with China, Iran, and North Korea—three of Washington's adversaries.
By convening the BRICS group in Kazan, the Kremlin "aims to show that not only is Russia not isolated, but it also has partners and allies," said Moscow-based political analyst Konstantin Kalachev.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Putin in 2023 over the illegal deportation of children from Ukraine, prompting the Russian leader to abandon plans to attend the previous summit in ICC member South Africa.
This time, the Kremlin wants to demonstrate an "alternative to Western pressure and that a multipolar world is a reality," Kalachev added, referring to Moscow's efforts to shift power away from the West to other regions.
The Kremlin has stated its desire for global affairs to be guided by international law "rather than by rules set by individual states, namely the United States."
"We believe that BRICS is a prototype of multipolarity, a structure uniting the Southern and Eastern hemispheres based on the principles of sovereignty and mutual respect," said Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov.
"What BRICS is doing is gradually—brick by brick—building a bridge to a more democratic and just world order," he added.
Security
In Kazan, Putin is set to meet individually with Modi and Xi, as well as the leaders of South Africa and Egypt on Tuesday, followed by separate talks with Erdogan and Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is also undertaking his first trip to Russia since April 2022 to attend the summit. He is scheduled to meet with Putin on Thursday, according to a program shared by Ushakov.
Ahead of the summit, AFP journalists in the city reported heightened security measures and a visible police presence. The surrounding Tatarstan region, which is about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) from the border with Ukraine, has previously been targeted by long-range Ukrainian drone attacks.
Movement around the city center is being restricted, with residents advised to stay home, and university students relocated from dormitories, local media reported.
Emboldened
The West believes Russia is using the BRICS group to expand its influence and promote its narratives about the Ukraine conflict.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that other countries could feel emboldened if Putin wins on the battlefield in Ukraine.
Starting with four members when it was established in 2009, BRICS has since expanded to include several other emerging nations, such as South Africa, Egypt, and Iran.
However, the group is also rife with internal divisions, particularly between key members India and China.
Turkey, a NATO member with complex ties to both Moscow and the West, announced in early September its intention to join the bloc.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva canceled his planned trip to the summit at the last minute after suffering a head injury that caused a minor brain hemorrhage.
With AFP
Comments