Putin lands in India for BRICs summit, shadowed by Iran and Ukraine wars

What the report says

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in New Delhi on Friday ahead of a two-day BRICS summit that Al Jazeera says is being shaped by the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, along with wider economic pressures. The meeting brings together the 11-member bloc of major emerging economies, which has expanded in recent years to include countries such as Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

According to the report, Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian are expected to hold talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the summit. Chinese President Xi Jinping is also due to meet Modi, marking his first visit to India since 2019 and signaling a cautious easing in ties between the two Asian rivals.

Al Jazeera reported that Putin was received at Palam Air Force Station by an Indian minister, while New Delhi prepared for the summit with heavy security and traffic restrictions. The article said India is trying to balance relations with Russia, Iran, Israel and the United States as the conflicts continue to affect diplomacy and energy markets.

The gathering matters because BRICS has increasingly become a forum where countries with differing positions on war, sanctions and global governance try to maintain unity. Analysts quoted by Al Jazeera said the expansion of the bloc could make consensus harder, especially as the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East remain central issues.