Putin seeks to rival West with high-profile summit

KAZAN, Russia - Two dozen world leaders gathered in Russia on Oct 22 for the opening of a three-day summit of the Brics group, an alliance of emerging economies that the Kremlin hopes will challenge Western “hegemony”.

With the summit, the biggest such meeting in Russia since it ordered troops into Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin is seeking to show that Western attempts to isolate Moscow over the 2½-year offensive have failed.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan – all key partners for Russia – are scheduled to join the gathering, hosted in the western city of Kazan from Oct 22 to 24.

Mr Putin, Mr Modi and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa have already arrived in Kazan, Russian media reported, while Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said Mr Xi had landed.

Moscow has made expanding the Brics group – an acronym for core members Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – a pillar of its foreign policy.

The main issues on the agenda include Mr Putin’s idea for a Brics-led payment system to rival Swift, an international financial network that Russian banks were cut off from 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”.

Ahead of the meeting, Mr Modi praised what he called the “special and privileged strategic partnership” between Moscow and New Delhi, and said issues including climate change would be on the agenda.

‘Multipolar world’

The United States has dismissed the idea 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 gathering the Brics group in Kazan, the Kremlin “aims to show that not only is Russia not isolated, but it also has partners and allies”, Moscow-based political analyst Konstantin Kalachev told AFP.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Mr Putin in 2023 over the illegal deportation of children from Ukraine, and the Russian leader abandoned plans to attend the previous summit in ICC member South Africa.

This time round, the Kremlin wants to show an “alternative to Western pressure and that the multipolar world is a reality”, Mr Kalachev said, referring to Moscow’s efforts to shift power away from the West to other regions.

India wants peace in Ukraine

Mr Modi told Mr Putin on Oct 22 that he wanted peace in Ukraine and that New Delhi was ready to help achieve a truce to end Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II.

“We have been in constant touch on the subject of the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine,” Mr Modi said. “We believe that problems should be resolved only through peaceful means.”

He thanked Mr Putin for his “strong friendship”, praised growing cooperation and the evolution of Brics, but also said that India felt the conflict in Ukraine should be ended peacefully.

He added: “We fully support the early restoration of peace and stability. All our efforts give priority to humanity. India is ready to provide all possible support in the times to come.” He said he would discuss the issues with Mr Putin.

Security

Mr Putin is set to individually meet Mr Xi as well as the leaders of South Africa and Egypt on Oct 22, followed by separate talks with Mr Erdogan and Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian on Oct 23.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is also undertaking his first trip to Russia since April 2022 to attend the summit. He will sit down with Mr Putin on Oct 24, according to a programme shared by Russian presidential aide Yury 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 some 1,000km from the border with Ukraine, has previously been hit by long-range Ukrainian drone attacks.

Movement around the city centre is being limited, residents are advised to stay home, and university students have moved out of dormitories, local media reported.

Emboldened

The West believes Russia is using the Brics group to expand its influence and promote its own narratives about the Ukraine conflict.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that other countries could feel emboldened if Mr Putin wins on the battlefield in Ukraine.

The Brics grouping started with four members when it was established in 2009 and has since expanded to include several other emerging nations such as South Africa, Egypt and Iran.

But the group is also rife with internal divisions, including between key members India and China.

Turkey, a Nato member with complex ties to both Moscow and the West, announced in early September that it also wanted to join the bloc.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva cancelled his planned trip to the summit at the last minute after suffering a head injury that caused a minor brain haemorrhage. AFP