The largest diplomatic gathering to take place in Russia since the conflict between Russia and Ukraine is the gathering of about 20 world leaders in the central city of Kazan.
At the BRICS summit in Russia on Wednesday, world leaders urged peace in the Middle East and Ukraine while President Vladimir Putin informed them that he welcomed offers to mediate the conflict in Ukraine.
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin gestures as he speaks during the extended format meeting of the BRICS summit in Kazan on October 23, 2024. (Photo by Alexander NEMENOV / POOL / AFP)
Although some of his closest and most significant allies have directly called for an end to the conflict in Ukraine, the Russian leader is using the meeting as evidence that Western efforts to isolate Moscow have failed.This is the biggest diplomatic gathering Russia has hosted since Putin ordered troops into Ukraine in 2022, with about 20 world leaders gathering in the central city of Kazan.BRICS was founded in 2009 with four members: Brazil, Russia, India, and China. Since then, it has grown to include other developing countries like South Africa, Egypt, and Iran.
The group expressed its “deep concern about ongoing conflicts and instability in the Middle East and North African region” in a joint statement.Additionally, it called for the “preservement” of Lebanon’s “territorial integrity” and denounced Israeli attacks on UN personnel in southern Lebanon.
Leaders had gathered to demand peace in Ukraine and the Middle East during a plenary session earlier Wednesday.Masoud Pezeshkian, the president of Iran, called on the members of the BRICS consortium to “use all their collective and individual capacities to end the war in Gaza and Lebanon.””We need to… stop the killing and work tirelessly for a comprehensive, just, and lasting settlement of the Palestinian issue,” stated Chinese President Xi Jinping Xi, reinforcing his call for a ceasefire.Additionally, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the president of Brazil, urged that escalation in the Middle East and Ukraine be prevented.
He addressed the summit via video conference, saying, “It is crucial to restore our ability to work together towards common goals as we face two wars that have the potential to become global.”– Mediation providesOn Wednesday, the European Union called on BRICS nations to use the platform to put pressure on Putin to “immediately” stop his offensive against Ukraine.
According to his spokesperson on Wednesday, Putin accepted offers from a number of BRICS leaders to mediate in Ukraine during private bilateral discussions, despite informing them that his forces were making progress on the battlefield.Additionally, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov informed reporters Additionally, Putin had praised “the very positive dynamics on the front for the Russian armed forces” during the meetings.Although neither side has been able to make a significant breakthrough, Russian troops have been gradually moving forward in eastern Ukraine for the majority of 2024.At the summit, Xi, a significant Putin ally, stated that there must be “no escalation of fighting” in Ukraine.
This handout picture provided by the UAE Presidential Court shows (L to R) Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa, China’s President Xi Jinping, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian, and Brazil’s Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira posing for a family photo during the BRICS summit in Kazan on October 23, 2024. (Photo by Abdulla AL-NEYADI / UAE PRESIDENTIAL COURT / AFP)
“In order to alleviate the situation as quickly as possible, we must follow the three principles of ‘no spillover from the battlefield, no escalation of fighting, and no adding oil to the fire by relevant parties,'” Xi wrote.Additionally, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for peace without mentioning any particular conflict.He declared, “We favour diplomacy and communication, not conflict.”Opening peace negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv is “crucial,” according to Lula of Brazil.- Multipolar systemAlthough there has not seemed to be much progress, Xi and Modi have previously praised their own peace initiatives for Ukraine.As a condition for ceasefire negotiations, Putin has demanded that Ukraine essentially capitulate by giving up more territory in its east and south.
After a bold cross-border summer offensive, Kyiv has refused to cede land in exchange for peace and now holds a portion of Russian territory.UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres will meet with Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin a day later, while Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has also positioned himself as a potential peacemaker, will speak with Putin later on Wednesday.Moscow views the BRICS platform as a substitute for global institutions like the G7 that are dominated by the West.The process of “forming a multipolar world order is underway, a dynamic and irreversible process,” Putin stated in his opening remarks at the summit.
Days after the neighbours came to an agreement on their disputed border, Xi and Modi also used the summit to have their first official meeting in five years.According to Xi, it is in their “fundamental interests” for both parties to “strengthen communication and cooperation.”The Global South should be given a larger role on the global scene and be more fully included in international “decision-making” platforms, according to the BRICS group.
Days after the neighbours came to an agreement on their disputed border, Xi and Modi also used the summit to have their first official meeting in five years.Xi stated that the two sides “strengthen communication and cooperation” because it was in their “fundamental interests.”The Global South should be given a larger role on the global scene and be more fully included in international “decision-making” platforms, according to the BRICS group.