While Moscow’s allies from China, India, Brazil, and the Arab world are urging President Vladimir Putin to find a way to end the war in Ukraine, Russia wants the BRICS summit to highlight the growing influence of the non-Western world.
Although China is responsible for more than half of the world’s economic power, the BRICS group now makes up 45% of the world’s population and 35% of its economy based on purchasing power parity.
The West portrays Putin as a war criminal, but Putin told reporters from BRICS countries that “BRICS does not put itself into opposition to anyone” and that the change in the forces driving global growth was just a fact.
“This is an association of states that work together based on common values, a common vision of development, and, most importantly, the principle of taking into account each other’s interests,” he stated.
In the midst of the Middle East and Ukraine wars, a faltering Chinese economy, and concerns that the US presidential election may spark new trade conflicts, world finance leaders are meeting in Washington for the BRICS summit.
After eight years of fighting in eastern Ukraine, Putin ordered troops into the country in 2022. BRICS reporters questioned Putin about the likelihood of a ceasefire in Ukraine.
