NEW DELHI, September 12 — Leaders of the BRICS nations gather in the Indian capital this weekend as wars in Ukraine and the Middle East and mounting U.S.-China tensions test whether the expanded bloc can act together on anything beyond economics. Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian are among the leaders expected to attend, according to the summit’s published programme. Their presence alone signals the geopolitical weight New Delhi has chosen to carry as host.
India, which holds the chair this year, will seek to balance its ties with China and Russia against its growing partnerships with the United States and other Western powers. That balancing act is not new.
New Delhi has maintained close ties with Moscow through energy and defense pacts while deepening its strategic relationship with Washington, and it has consistently called for dialogue and diplomacy rather than taking sides in the Ukraine war.
A bloc of eleven, and of competing interests
BRICS began as an acronym for Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. It has since expanded to include eleven countries that together represent about half the world’s population and a large share of its energy, resources and economic output. Experts say its growing size has also exposed divisions.
Members want greater influence in the global order but often have competing political, economic and foreign-policy interests. The grouping includes countries with competing regional ambitions, among them India and China, Iran and Saudi Arabia, and Egypt and Ethiopia, as well as other nations from the Global South.
“The Global South is not a homogeneous entity,” said Praveen Donthi, senior analyst with the International Crisis Group. “Hence, the grouping will find it hard to manage and mediate in these conflicts.” The conflicts in Iran and Ukraine are likely to highlight those divisions. Iran is a member of the expanded BRICS, while Russia remains one of its most influential members.
China has close ties with both countries. India maintains relations with Russia, Iran, the United States and Europe.
That diversity makes it difficult for BRICS to take a strong common position on major conflicts.
What to watch
Russia’s war in Ukraine has already exposed the limits of India’s ability to balance competing interests. The Iran-U.S. conflict poses a similar challenge, with members holding different relationships with Tehran and Washington making a unified stance unlikely. India, as host, is expected to push for consensus on areas of common interest such as economic cooperation and development, while avoiding contentious topics that could divide the group.
The meeting will be closely watched for any signs of cohesion or further fragmentation within the bloc.
