BRICS Summit Preserves Dialogue but Exposes Deep Divisions

What changed

India hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and other BRICS leaders in Delhi this weekend. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the group should become “rule-shapers” rather than “rule-takers.” BBC News

The summit produced a “New Delhi Declaration” after two earlier BRICS ministerial meetings failed to reach joint statements. Its consensus depended on avoiding the group’s most divisive issues:

• On the Middle East war, it called for “maximum restraint” and condemned attacks on civilian infrastructure and peaceful nuclear facilities without assigning blame. The BBC reported that Iran had launched missiles and drones at the UAE during the conflict, but the declaration did not address responsibility.
• It supported a two-state solution and opposed forced displacement of Palestinians or actions that could legitimise or prolong occupation.
• It omitted Russia’s war in Ukraine, unlike previous BRICS declarations.
• It criticised “indiscriminate rising tariffs” and unilateral sanctions without naming the United States.

Why it matters

The summit demonstrated India’s ability to bring together countries with serious disputes, while exposing the limits of BRICS as a unified bloc. India and China fought a deadly border clash in 2020, while Iran and the UAE have been on opposing sides of the Middle East conflict. BBC News

China, Russia and Iran view BRICS as a vehicle for reducing US and western European influence. India, however, has resisted defining the group as anti-Western. Modi said it was “not against anyone,” reflecting New Delhi’s effort to preserve relationships with rival powers. BBC News

That approach also helped members avoid provoking President Donald Trump, who has criticised BRICS proposals, including possible links between central-bank digital currencies. The result was a declaration that preserved dialogue but offered few tangible solutions to the disputes confronting its members.

What to watch next

Future BRICS meetings will test whether India’s compromise can generate practical cooperation or mainly produce carefully limited consensus. If wars, tariffs and sanctions continue to divide members, the group may keep issuing broad statements while substantive decisions are handled through separate national partnerships.

If India can sustain meetings between adversaries and build cooperation in less contentious areas, BRICS may retain value as a platform for strategic autonomy.