Putin Hosts BRICS Summit to Show Russia’s Global Relevance

BRICS summit/ Russia/ Putin/ global alliances/ Xi Jinping/ Narendra Modi/ Iran-Russia ties/ alternative financial systems/ Newslooks/ MOSCOW/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Russian President Vladimir Putin will host world leaders at the BRICS summit in Kazan, signaling Russia’s defiance of Western isolation efforts. The summit showcases Russia’s efforts to strengthen ties with emerging economies like China and India while exploring alternatives to Western-dominated systems. The gathering also reflects Putin’s aim to bolster economic alliances and trade while projecting Russia’s global relevance despite sanctions and the Ukraine war.

Putin Hosts BRICS Summit: Quick Looks

• Putin hosts leaders from China, India, Turkey, and Iran in Kazan for the BRICS summit.
• BRICS expands, with Iran, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and others joining, signaling its growing influence.
• Russia aims to strengthen economic ties with BRICS members to counteract Western sanctions.
• Iran-Russia ties deepen, with potential military cooperation amid Moscow’s interest in bypassing sanctions.
• China pushes BRICS expansion and explores alternatives to the U.S.-dominated global order.
• India and Turkey balance ties with Russia while maintaining relationships with Western powers.

Putin Hosts BRICS Summit to Show Russia’s Global Relevance

Deep Look:

Russian President Vladimir Putin will host a significant diplomatic event in the coming days, as world leaders gather in the Russian city of Kazan for the BRICS summit, a crucial meeting for the bloc of developing economies that now includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. This year’s summit holds added weight as new members such as Iran, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia officially joined in January 2024, while countries like Turkey, Malaysia, and Azerbaijan have expressed interest in joining. Despite Western attempts to isolate Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, the summit serves as a platform for Putin to demonstrate that his country remains influential on the global stage.

For Putin, the optics of standing alongside leaders such as China’s Xi Jinping, India’s Narendra Modi, Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Iran’s Masoud Pezeshkian are critical. The summit provides an opportunity for Russia to highlight its global alliances and economic partnerships amid the war in Ukraine and mounting international sanctions. Kremlin spokesperson Yuri Ushakov called the summit “the largest foreign policy event ever held” on Russian soil, with over 20 heads of state attending and 32 countries confirming participation.

Strategic Optics and Economic Deals

The BRICS summit offers Russia both symbolic and practical advantages. Politically, it allows Putin to push back against the narrative that Russia has become a pariah state. Domestically, this gathering bolsters the Kremlin’s image, showing Russian citizens that their country is still a key player in shaping global affairs. Internationally, it emphasizes that BRICS, an organization created to challenge the Western-led world order, continues to grow despite attempts to marginalize its members.

Economically, the summit offers Russia a chance to deepen trade relations with its BRICS partners, particularly China and India. China is a key market for Russia as Moscow seeks military and dual-use goods amid the war, while India is a significant buyer of Russian energy. Additionally, Russia hopes to discuss expanding its alternative payment system to counter the global SWIFT banking network, which Western countries have used to enforce sanctions on Russia.

Alexander Gabuyev, director of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, noted that the BRICS alliance provides its members with flexibility. “There are not many strings attached to being part of BRICS,” he said, adding that the group offers opportunities for nations to negotiate on their own terms. For Russia, this flexibility is crucial as it seeks to bypass Western restrictions and maintain its economic resilience.

Strengthening Russia-Iran Ties

A key focus of the summit will be Russia’s increasingly close partnership with Iran. The two nations are expected to sign a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty, formalizing their alliance, which has grown in importance since the Ukraine war began. Iran has supplied Russia with drones used in its strikes on Ukraine, while Moscow is likely to provide Tehran with advanced military hardware, such as air defense systems and fighter jets, to bolster Iran’s defenses against potential threats from Israel.

The treaty underscores the evolving military cooperation between Russia and Iran, though Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov declined to confirm whether it would include mutual military assistance. Still, the alliance remains a critical component of Russia’s strategy to build strong ties with non-Western nations.

China’s Growing Influence

For China, BRICS represents one of several international platforms—along with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)—through which it seeks to shape an alternative to the U.S.-dominated world order. Chinese President Xi Jinping has been a vocal proponent of expanding BRICS, and the Kazan summit will likely solidify China’s role in leading the bloc.

Willy Lam, a senior China fellow at the Jamestown Foundation, pointed out that Beijing is eager to strengthen economic, technological, and military ties within the expanded BRICS bloc. Moreover, both China and Russia are interested in exploring alternatives to the U.S. dollar as the dominant currency in global trade, aiming to challenge the “dollar hegemony.”

While Xi and Putin will continue to present a united front, experts are closely watching for signs of a subtle shift in China’s stance on Russia’s war in Ukraine. Eva Seiwert, a foreign policy expert at the Mercator Institute for China Studies, explained that Xi may wish to signal to the West that Beijing officially remains neutral in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, positioning itself as a credible mediator while maintaining strong relations with Russia.

India and Turkey’s Diplomatic Balancing Act

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, another key participant at the BRICS summit, is expected to use the gathering to recalibrate his country’s ties with Russia. While India values its long-standing defense and energy partnership with Moscow, it also maintains strong relationships with Western nations. Modi has faced pressure from Western allies to take a more active role in pushing for an end to the Ukraine conflict. Nevertheless, New Delhi has been careful not to condemn Russia, emphasizing the importance of diplomacy and peaceful resolution.

“India can’t simply abandon Russia due to its deep defense ties, the regional balance of power, and its multi-alignment strategy,” said Raja Mohan, a professor at the Institute of South Asian Studies. Despite this, India continues to strengthen its economic and technological relations with the U.S. and other Western powers, a crucial part of its economic development.

Turkey, another key player at the summit, has applied to join BRICS, reflecting its increasing frustration with the West. Turkey’s relations with the U.S. and the European Union have been strained over issues such as its purchase of a Russian missile defense system and disagreements over the stalled EU membership process. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has used these tensions to position Turkey as a potential bridge between the East and West.

Gonul Tol, director of the Turkey program at the U.S.-based Middle East Institute, noted that Turkey’s BRICS membership bid could help Erdogan strengthen his negotiating position with the West. “Middle powers like Turkey try to extract more from both camps by having one foot in each camp,” Tol said.

Conclusion:

The BRICS summit in Kazan highlights Russia’s efforts to maintain its global relevance despite international sanctions and growing isolation from the West. By strengthening ties with emerging economies and exploring alternatives to Western financial systems, Putin hopes to position Russia as a leader in a new multipolar world. However, balancing these alliances with the broader geopolitical landscape will remain a challenge for BRICS members, particularly as the war in Ukraine continues to reshape international relations.

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