Putin Lands in Delhi as BRICS Divisions Test India’s Balancing Act
Vladimir Putin’s arrival in New Delhi puts India-Russia trade and defense ties in focus as an expanded BRICS bloc confronts divisions over Ukraine, the Middle East and relations with the West.
BRICS leaders gather in New Delhi as wars and rivalries strain the expanded bloc
BRICS leaders gather in New Delhi as wars and rivalries strain the expanded bloc
HT Morning Brief September 11: Putin arrives in India for BRICS
Putin, Xi and Pezeshkian set for talks with Modi as BRICS summit faces deep divisions
BRICS summit: What’s on agenda as world leaders gather in Delhi amid global tensions
An arrival loaded with strategic weight
Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived at Palam Air Force Station early Friday for a three-day visit centered on the BRICS summit and talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. India’s foreign ministry described the relationship as a “Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership,” while confirming that Putin was received by junior foreign minister Kirti Vardhan Singh.etvbharat The trip is Putin’s first in-person appearance at a BRICS summit outside Russia since the invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022.economictimes
The bilateral agenda spans trade, investment, energy, technology and defense. Moscow says the two sides are exploring BrahMos missile upgrades, completing remaining S-400 air-defense deliveries and discussing possible Su-57 fighter-jet supplies, alongside new civil nuclear reactors.economictimes Putin is also scheduled to address the BRICS Business Forum and visit the INNOPROM industry exhibition with Modi.timesofoman
A larger bloc confronts sharper fractures
The 11-member group opens its leaders’ meeting Saturday with conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East exposing the limits of consensus. BRICS now represents roughly half the world’s population, but its expansion has brought rivals including Iran and Saudi Arabia, India and China, and Egypt and Ethiopia into the same forum.seattlepi The bloc’s foreign ministers failed to agree on a joint statement at a May meeting in New Delhi, underscoring the cohesion problem facing leaders this weekend.malaymail
India is trying to preserve room for cooperation without allowing BRICS to harden into an explicitly anti-Western alliance. New Delhi maintains defense and energy ties with Moscow while deepening partnerships with the United States, Europe, Japan and Australia; it also retains relations with both Iran and Israel.seattlepi +1 That balancing act will shape how far the summit can move beyond broad declarations on global governance.
Delhi seeks practical gains from high diplomacy
The formal program at Bharat Mandapam covers multilateral reform, trade, investment, technology, food and energy security, health, disaster resilience and critical supply chains. It is due to conclude Sunday with a New Delhi Declaration.timesofindia Reducing dependence on the dollar through more local-currency trade and alternative payment systems remains a shared ambition, though members’ divergent currencies and financial priorities make rapid progress difficult.seattlepi
Putin’s meeting is only one test. Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected in Delhi for his first visit to India in seven years, after a cautious thaw that restored flights, visas and senior-level contacts while leaving border and trade disputes unresolved.malaymail For Modi, the immediate measure of success will be whether bilateral meetings produce tangible movement while the expanded bloc stays united enough to issue a meaningful declaration.