India hosts BRICS summit in Delhi amid global conflicts
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is hosting the 18th BRICS summit in New Delhi as global leaders navigate conflicts in Eastern Europe and the Middle East.
Global leaders have converged in New Delhi for the 18th BRICS summit, stepping into a geopolitical landscape overshadowed by simultaneous conflicts in Eastern Europe and the Middle East. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is hosting the gathering at the Bharat Mandapam, where India assumes the grouping's chairmanship amid intense diplomatic scrutiny. The summit brings together an expanded roster of nations, testing whether a diverse coalition of emerging economies can forge consensus while navigating severe global disruptions to energy supplies and maritime trade routes.
The diplomatic proceedings opened against a backdrop of strict security measures across the Indian capital, where traffic restrictions have been implemented in central districts and posters featuring Prime Minister Modi line the streets. Russian President Vladimir Putin landed at Palam Air Force Station on Friday, according to Al Jazeera and Paparaci, or Thursday according to Streamlinefeed. He was welcomed by India鈥檚 Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh, as captured in footage broadcast by Russia鈥檚 Ria Novosti news agency. Putin's arrival paved the way for bilateral discussions with Modi focused on defense procurement, long-term nuclear projects, and discounted crude oil supplies.
Media additions
The summit's agenda has been heavily impacted by escalating global hostilities. According to Al Jazeera, the ongoing war in Ukraine and the US-Iran conflict that escalated in February have created severe financial and logistical shocks for emerging economies. The conflict in the Gulf has transformed the Strait of Hormuz into a critical chokepoint, pushing international crude prices near $100 a barrel and threatening energy-importing member states across the Global South. Environmental concerns have also mounted over potential oil tanker damage in the region.
Observers note that the bloc's recent expansion鈥攚hich added nations such as Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates鈥攈as introduced deep internal divisions. Harsh V. Pant of the Observer Research Foundation observed that what was once celebrated as a diplomatic victory for enlargement now functions as a major constraint on unity, stating that the Gulf conflict is going to be the central fault line during the summit. This sentiment was echoed by Shilan Shah of Capital Economics, who pointed out that the war in Iran serves as a stern test of group cohesion, recalling an earlier deadlock among BRICS foreign ministers during meetings in New Delhi in May, as reported by Paparaci and Al Jazeera.
| Key Leader | Country | Significance of Visit / Context |
|---|---|---|
| Vladimir Putin | Russia | Arrived for bilateral talks on defense and energy; maintains strategic partnership with India amid Ukraine war. |
| Masoud Pezeshkian | Iran | First visit to India as president, thrusting the Middle East conflict and Gulf maritime crisis into summit focus. |
| Xi Jinping | China | First visit to India since 2019; holding sideline talks with Modi to stabilize ties after Himalayan border clashes. |
| Narendra Modi | India | Summit host and chair, navigating a delicate balancing act between Western partnerships and historic ties to Moscow. |
India is utilizing the summit to showcase its policy of strategic autonomy, bridging competing global interests while managing complex relationships with Washington, Moscow, and Beijing. While New Delhi has refrained from condemning Russia over the war in Ukraine, External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar recently visited Kyiv, where Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed gratitude for India's commitment to ending the war. At the same time, India maintains cordial ties with both Iran and Israel, attempting to stabilize its domestic energy markets without alienating Western allies.
Bilateral diplomacy on the sidelines has drawn intense interest, particularly the scheduled meeting between Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping. As noted in the sources, managing bilateral tensions is a prerequisite for both Asian giants to project influence across the developing world. The broader economic discussions are also addressing alternatives to Western-dominated financial systems, with finance ministers and central bank governors exploring local currency settlement mechanisms and digital payment bridges to protect member states from currency volatility and potential sanctions.
As the plenary sessions progress, diplomatic insiders report that sherpa negotiations remain deadlocked over how to phrase joint communiqu茅s regarding Middle Eastern security and American military operations. Whether the grouping can issue a unified declaration without fracturing over conflicting national interests remains a central question of the meetings.
What to Watch Next
- Finalization of the New Delhi declaration and whether member states can bridge divisions over the Gulf conflict.
- Outcomes from bilateral meetings between Prime Minister Modi, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, and Masoud Pezeshkian.
- Further announcements from finance ministers regarding alternative cross-border payment systems and local currency trade frameworks.
