The 18th BRICs summit took place in New Delhi, this year’s chairing country is India (September 12th-13th, 2026). It will be followed by China becoming the next hosting country of the BRICS gathering. Taking part in this meeting were delegations from Russia, including President Putin and his leading ministers and advisors, President Xi Jinping, Prime minister of India Narendra Modi, President of Indonesia Prabowo Subianto, President of Iran Masoud Pezeshkian, President of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa, Prime Minister of Ethiopia Amiy Ahmed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Council (UAE) Khaled bin Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Foreign Minister of Brazil Mauro Luis Lecker Viera. The summit was a clear “geopolitical counterpoint” to the disarray which we see in the unfolding US foreign policy under President Trump, failing to bring about a peaceful settlement in the Ukraine / Russia war, agreed upon between Putin and Trump after Anchorage summit (August 2025).
This is partly due to the US president and his “incompetence” in conducting diplomatic negotiations with Russia, as the well -known US political scientist Prof. John Mearsheimer stated in an interview several days ago upon his return from a trip to St Petersburg and Moscow, where he had the chance to attend a dinner with Russian FM Lavrov as well as having discussion with several members of the Russian elite. In his interview Mearsheimer concluded that the Ukraine despite all the money and weapons it gets from Europe (in particular) and intelligence guidance from the US, risks to get reduced to a non- functional state. Since Russia has escalated the war in Ukraine since summer in such a way that the country’s infrastructure, energy, ship transport, road and railway) is devastated leaving the economy in ruins. The situation shows that Russia is going to win the war, an “ugly victory” as Mearsheimer put it.
The BRICS summit concluded with a “New Delhi Declaration: Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability” – a 50- pages long document that states right from the beginning (in paragraph 2): “Building on two decades of BRICS, we further commit ourselves to strengthening cooperation in the expanded BRICS under the three pillars of political and security economic and financial, cultural and people- to- people cooperation, and to enhancing our strategic partnership for the benefit of our people through the promotion of peace, a more representative, fairer international order, a reinvigorated and reformed multilateral system, sustainable development and inclusive growth.”
A key parameter for BRICS in light of the “failing” unipolar order under the US and the West, is the commitment “to strengthening multilateralism and multipolarity, upholding international law including the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations (UN) in their entirety and interconnectedness in a balanced and inclusive manner as its indispensable cornerstone and the central role of the UN in the international system in which sovereign states cooperate to maintain peace and security, (…) promote cooperation based on the spirit of solidarity, mutual respect (…) and develop pathways, with the aim to build a brighter shared future for the international community based on mutually beneficial cooperation.”(7)
In paragraph 10 it is emphasized that the “BRICS countries will continue playing a pivotal role invoicing the concerns and priorities of the ‘Global South’ as well as promoting a more just, sustainable, inclusive, representative and stable international order based on international law. (…) Russia and China as permanent members of the UN Security Council, reiterate their support to the aspirations of Brazil and India to play a greater role in the UN, including its Security Council.”
Unilateralism versus Multilateralism
Of particular concern for BRICS is the “rise of unilateral tariffs and non -tariff measures which distort trade and are inconsistent with WTO rule.” In paragraph 22 it is stated: “We condemn the imposition of unilateral coercive measures that are contra to international law, and reiterate that such measures, inter alia in the form of unilateral economics sanctions and secondary sanctions, have far- reaching negative implications for the human rights, including the rights to development, health and food security, of the general population of targeted states, disproportionally affecting the poor and people in vulnerable situations, deepening the digital divide and exacerbating environmental challenges.” This would “undermine international law and the principles and purposes of the UN Charter. We reaffirm our opposition to unilateral coercive measures that are contrary to international law and the Charter of the United Nations, including non- UN Security Council authorized sanctions.” This is a clear reaction to Trumps and Treasury Secretary Bessent’s policing measures to punish those countries that engage in trade with Russia. For example countries like Iran, China, India et al. that buy oil from Russia.
Grave concern is expressed by BRICS about the situation in the Mideast, in particular about the escalating tension in the Mideast/ West Asia. They “call for the implementation of the relevant UNGA and UNSC resolutions and urge all parties to ensure the maintenance of ceasefire and full and unhindered humanitarian access in the GAZA Strip (…) We reiterate our grave concern about the situation on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including the humanitarian situation in Gaza(….) We condemn all violations, including the use of starvation as a method of warfare, attacks targeting civilians and civilian objects, including healthcare facilities and other civilian infrastructure as well as the unlawful obstruction of humanitarian access….”
Very significant is the call by BRICS for alternative payment models for border trade, that is becoming independent from the dollar. In paragraph 90 they state that “we acknowledge the efforts of the BRICS Payment Task force (BPTF) towards exploring pragmatic solution for efficient cross -border payment mechanisms, drawing on the guidance, provided by us in the Kazan and Rio Declarations, on the BRICS Cross-Border Payments Initiative. In this regard, we acknowledge the work done to study the cross- border interoperability of payment and messaging channels, and the discussions on promoting trade settlement and investments using BRICS local currencies, while respecting national priorities and acknowledging that there is no one -size -fits all approach. We encourage the BPTF to continue discussions, building on the ongoing work to facilitate practical solution for cross -border payments among BRICS countries, which are fast, low cost, more accessible, efficient, transparent and safe.”
Tectonic shifts: The importance of the Global South
The final communique gave particular emphasis to the future role of the “Global South” which also got echoed in the speeches given by President Xi Jinping and President Putin during the summit. While XI urged that the “Global Nations” should jointly uphold international law, sovereign equality, non -interference in internal affairs and the peaceful settlement of disputes, while ensuring rules are applied equally without double standards; Putin from his side stated, that “amid the emergence of a multipolar international order, it is more important than ever to strengthen genuine multilateralism, involve more countries in global governance mechanisms and the activities of key international political and economic institutions, as well as in the search for responses to acute challenges and threats and in efforts to ensure international peace and stability for the sake of universal prosperity and well- being.”
According to President Putin the “unipolar system of international relations, which served the interests of a narrow group of countries, is gradually becoming a thing of the past. The global balance of power is shifting towards new centers of growth in the Global South and East (…) The transition towards a multipolar world is not without difficulties. As we can all see, it is being resisted by those who remain accustomed to thinking in colonial terms, dividing the world into a flourishing garden and a wild jungle and seeking to prosper at the expense of others. Unwilling to accept the new realities, they are using every means at their disposal to hold back emerging competitors…These methods range from ‘tariff wars’ and ‘illegitimate sanctions’ to economic pressure and blackmail, interference in the internal affairs of sovereign stated and direct use of force. Existing hotbeds of tension are being deliberately fueled, while new conflicts and divisions are being provoked. As a result, the entire system of international relations is malfunctioning, while multilateral institution and mechanism are becoming less effective.”
Special emphasis was made also concerning the need to strengthen the United Nations central role in global affairs. Hence the UN remains the cornerstone of international law, despite the attempts by certain countries to replace it with a so called “rules-based order,” Putin said: “We believe that, together with our BRICS partners, we must continue working to make the United Nations more effective. Expanding the Security Council, in particular, by ensuring greater representation for countries from Asia, Africa, and Latin America, would certainly help achieve this goal.”
Fiery warnings against war with Russia
President Putin during the BRICS Business Forum, in which he was received almost like a hero by the audience (Sept. 11) stated among others: “The world has entered a period of deep structural shifts caused by the fact that the old leaders- relatively speaking old- who were at the forefront of economic growth in the latter half of the past century, are being replaced with new growth drivers (…) the world is changing (…) Over the past five years as it has already been said today – I think it was our Indonesian colleague who said it- the BRICS countries accounted for over 40% of global GDP which the contribution of the growth of seven so- called leading economies, was just 29%. As for global economic growth over the same period, our association accounted for nearly half of it, while the G7 contributed just 18%…. The BRICS countries, which are home to roughly half of the world’s population(!), have vast and dynamic domestic markets. Our cities are growing and developing rapidly, urbanization is advancing quickly and our national companies are increasingly mankind their mark as global players.”.
(…) “To illustrate: Tech Mahindra of India delivers effective platform -based digital solutions, including those utilizing artificial intelligence. Huawei of China is a world class leader in technology. Embraer of Brazil maintains a strong position within the aerospace sector; DP world, headquartered in the United Arab Emirates, operates efficiently in the field of logistics; and the Rosatom State Atomic Energy Corporation of Russia is rightfully recognized as the global leader in peaceful nuclear energy.” He stressed that the competitors of BRICs in order to preserve their dominance (…) go so far as to employ instruments of direct physical force, including the destruction of industrial and logistical infrastructure, pipelines and similar facilities. Efforts are underway to block international transport corridors, to seize sea -going vessels while illegal restrictions are imposed, accompanied by threats of so-called secondary sanctions, on those who refuse to act in the interests of others and instead seek to defend their own national interests. “
Putin pointed out that “in the eurozone, specifically its leading economies, and I shall not give names, industrial output has fallen by 8% over the past few years; for them, that is a significant decline.” He emphasized the need for “business diplomacy” within BRICS so that companies, entrepreneurs can easily find partners, settle payments, transport good and invest within our nations.” (…) “We are ready to contribute to the world’s energy and food security together with our partners, and to jointly shape reliable global routes, such as the Trans-Arctic Transport Corridor and the North South International Corridor; i.e. “BRICS is creating a new stable platform of global growth.”
In an interview with two leading “India Today” media representatives, Putin, when being asked to comment the recent land slide election result of the AFD (Alternative for Germany 44%) in the Federal stated of Sachsen Anhalt (Sept. 6), that has created huge turmoil among the German governing elite, Putin, by refraining from directly answering to this question- put special focus on former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, whom he knew very well. His comment is a good answer to the total hysteria that has gripped the present German elite, pushing them in a dangerous flight forward war against Russia, with devastating consequences for Europe. “Kohl did not hold the views that the present leadership of the Christian Democratic Union espouses- he simply did not… He believed that the future of Europe, and of the Federal Republic, would be secured only if close neighborly allied relations with Russia were maintained. We must complement one another, he used to say; only thus could the European civilization preserve itself as an independent center of intellectual and cultural strength, and by extension, all that follows in the political and economic domains,” Putin said.
“Those were Kohl’s words to me … Yet today’s European elites adhere to a different perspective. They now seek to frighten their populations with a mythical Russian threat, purportedly dating back to the Soviet era. But such a threat does not exist, and never has. We do not threaten, nor do we intend to threaten, European countries- for what reason would we? No one appears to consider that we have no grounds for any conflict with Europe. All issues were resolved by the outcome of the Second World War. Moreover, all that transpired following the collapse of the Soviet Union was undertaken with the consent of the Russia Federation as the successor state. Any actions that are contrary to these agreements run counter to our interests and are inconsistent with the fundamental principles of international law and the UN Charter… But what changes do they seek? Are they attempting to revise the results of the Second World War? To what end are they steering their people? Toward war with the Russian Federation? Now, they speak of contemplating the dispatch of troops to the territory of Ukraine. This would mean war with Russia, And I presume that European citizens understand what is unfolding.” (!)
