Leaders of the BRICS nations are meeting in New Delhi this weekend while wars in Ukraine and the Middle East and U.S.-China tensions strain the expanded organization. India is hosting Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and other leaders from the 11-member group.
The bloc began with Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa and has expanded to countries representing about half of the world’s population. Its members also account for a large share of global energy, raw materials and economic output, but they do not share a single alliance structure or foreign policy.
India maintains ties with Russia and Iran while deepening partnerships with the United States and Europe, requiring Prime Minister Narendra Modi to manage competing interests in the summit agenda. Associated Press reported that Ukraine, the Iran war and the group’s relationship with Western institutions are expected to dominate discussions and the final public language.
BRICS decisions are generally made by consensus, so expansion can increase the group’s reach while making detailed common positions more difficult. Members seek greater influence over development finance and global institutions, yet bilateral rivalries and sanctions exposure constrain collective action. A summit declaration records negotiated positions but does not automatically create binding trade, security or monetary policy among the participants.
At the edition deadline, the final declaration, private bilateral agreements and any practical commitments had not been completed when this edition closed. The next documented developments will be the negotiated language on Ukraine, Iran and maritime trade and bilateral meetings involving India, China, Russia and the United States’ regional partners.