BRICS Summit in Delhi faces crises in West Asia and Ukraine

India hosts the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, a crucial meeting overshadowed by the Ukraine and West Asia crises. The bloc aims to represent the Global South but faces deep internal divisions, testing India's diplomatic skills as a mediator.

BRICS at a Crossroads Amid Global Crises

As New Delhi is set to host the heads of state for the 18th BRICS Summit this weekend, the multinational bloc stands at a historic crossroads amid the escalating crisis in West Asia and the protracted war in Ukraine. Chaired by India under the theme of "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability", the summit opens amidst intense structural friction generated by two active global conflict zones which have dealt a devastating blow to developing nations, sharply exacerbating critical challenges surrounding energy security, food inflation, fertiliser supply chains, and rising sovereign debt.

Yet, as these cascading spillovers hit the Global South hardest, traditional Western-led governance structures face gridlock. Finding themselves largely voiceless in mainstream multilateral forums, developing economies are turning to BRICS, seen as a vital platform capable of articulating an alternative vision and amplifying the urgent concerns of nations otherwise excluded from global decision-making. And with major protagonists such as Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian arriving for the summit, New Delhi — positioned as a willing facilitator for peace — faces the crucial yet fragile task of spearheading the ambitious agenda for the summit while serving as an external mediator to keep it from descending into a geopolitical battleground.

A Voice for the Global South

Highlighting how these cascading economic and security crises disproportionately impact developing nations while leaving them marginalised in global decision-making, Vice President of Studies and Foreign Policy at the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) Harsh V Pant told ANI, "The ongoing conflicts in West Asia and Ukraine have impacted the developing world very seriously. And therefore, BRICS as a platform that amplifies the voice of the Global South, that talks about the developing countries' concerns, is particularly relevant because developing world find itself voiceless when it comes to global governance, even as they are being impacted the most by these conflicts. So if you recall the Russia-Ukraine conflict has been particularly challenging, and then the West Asian crisis has been challenging for the developing world. There is energy security, food security, there has been issues around fertilizers, there has been issues around debt and economic crisis, all of them because of these crisis have been exacerbated. And that challenge is certainly something that BRICS members and partner nations will try to amplify and will try to discuss. Because this is a major concern for a large part of the world and BRICS would want to be the voice of that part of the world that is not often represented in global discussions."

Navigating Internal Divisions and Alignments

As highlighted by Pant, beyond external economic shocks, the contemporary wars place substantial internal strains on the expanded 10-member bloc and its partner nations. The expansion of BRICS has brought together states with starkly different geopolitical alignments: Russia and Iran are direct parties to ongoing conflicts and face extensive Western sanctions regimes, while members such as the UAE, Egypt, and partner nations maintain deep financial, security, and diplomatic partnerships with Western capitals, making them cautious about endorsing anti-Western rhetoric. Saudi Arabia's carefully calibrated participation further reflects this balancing act. Multi-Aligned Powers: India, Brazil, South Africa, and Indonesia seek strategic autonomy—refusing to endorse unilateral sanctions while maintaining productive relations with both Western powers and Eastern partners. Beyond the ideological differences, these wars create contrasting domestic pressures across member states. Energy-importing members suffer from inflation spikes driven by Red Sea maritime disruptions and grain shortages, whereas energy-exporting members experience different fiscal dynamics. Balancing these contrasting domestic priorities requires BRICS to focus heavily on practical economic derisking—such as local currency trade settlements and supply chain resilience—rather than divisive political alignment.

A History of Consensus

Despite these internal strains, previous BRICS outcome documents demonstrate a documented track record of consensus decisions and firm collective stances such as the Kazan Declaration 2024 — which issued the call for reforming global governace, encouraged peaceful resolution of conflicts through diplomacy and dialogue — the Rio de Janeiro Declaration 2025 —which reaffirmed commitment to the UN charter and multilateral cooperation — and the New Delhi Foreign Ministers' Outcome Document May 2026 — which reaffirmed adherence to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) regarding navigational rights in the Red Sea and Strait of Hormuz. Official pre-summit briefings by India's Ministry of External Affairs confirm that the BRICS Sherpas meeting, held earlier this year in Delhi, was intensely engaged in negotiating a balanced joint communique, also known as the Delhi Declaration. The process of achieving consensus in the bloc has, however, not been a cakewalk. BRICS members have often faced internal friction points. The New Delhi Foreign Ministers' Outcome Document noted that "there were differing views among some members as regard to the situation in the West Asia/Middle East region" and that member states "expressed their respective national positions and shared a range of perspectives", demonstrating the delicate negotiation required to achieve consensus text.

Stances on Key Conflicts

Ukraine conflict

BRICS declarations consistently reaffirm commitment to the UN Charter principles in their entirety. Outcome documents explicitly express appreciation for peaceful mediation proposals — such as the African Peace Initiative (Launched by a delegation of African heads of state and leaders in mid-2023, this mission engaged directly with Kyiv and Moscow. It advanced a series of confidence-building measures to pave the way for formal negotiations) and the Group of Friends for Peace (Launched in September 2024 at the United Nations in New York, this platform emphasises adherence to the UN Charter, prevent the escalation of hostilities, mitigate the spillover effects of unilateral sanctions on developing economies, and amplify non-Western mediation efforts) — aimed at achieving a sustainable peace settlement through dialogue and diplomacy.

West Asia crisis

Last year, BRICS officially condemned military strikes against Iran (since June 2025) as violations of international law and expressed grave concern over deliberate attacks on peaceful nuclear facilities under IAEA safeguards. However, while BRICS members Brazil, China, and Russia condemned US-Israeli attacks on Iran this year, India, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE criticised Iranian missile strikes against Gulf bases, creating internal divisions which led to a deadlock in an otherwise expected unified response. During the New Delhi Foreign Ministers' Meeting, BRICS condemned military offensives in Gaza, civilian casualties, forced displacement, and the use of starvation as a method of warfare. The bloc demanded an immediate, permanent, and unconditional ceasefire, the release of all hostages and illegal detainees, unhindered humanitarian aid, and steadfast support for UNRWA. Most importantly, BRICS reaffirmed support for Palestine's full UN membership and a sovereign Palestinian State within 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital "in order to achieve the vision of two States living side by side, in peace and security." Regarding the conflict in Lebanon, BRICS demanded strict implementation of UNSC Resolution 1701, calling for Israeli withdrawal from Southern Lebanon, and strongly condemning attacks against UNIFIL peacekeepers. Additionally, the bloc emphasises protecting freedom of navigation, commercial shipping, and seafarers in the Red Sea, Bab Al-Mandab, and the Black Sea.

India's Diplomatic Tightrope Walk

Addressing how these deep regional fault lines test the diplomatic machinery of BRICS, Harsh V Pant points to the friction points that threaten the summit's ability to issue a unified statement. "Certainly these conflicts will cast a shadow, particularly we know that between tensions between Iran and the UAE have been the reason why the Foreign Ministers' meeting earlier this year could not produce a joint declaration. So there are concerns that this may impact a joint declaration again. It will test India's diplomatic mettle. It will be important for India to work in that regard towards that end,” he said.

As the host and Chair of BRICS 2026, India occupies a unique geopolitical vantage point. Positioned with robust strategic relationships across Washington, Brussels, Moscow, Kyiv, Tehran, and the Arab world, New Delhi has crafted a distinct "peacemaker" posture which operates across two distinct dimensions. This policy of active engagement and principled neutrality defines India's strategic worldview.

Emphasising New Delhi's commitment to dialogue even when dealing with key international partners, Harsh V Pant notes, "India has always maintained that India's position remains in favor of peace. India has been categorical in talking about peace even with its friends like Russia. Prime Minister Modi has publicly told President Putin that this is not the time for war, and then more recently he has said that we should move from endless wars to ending wars. So clearly, India recognizes the challenge that these conflicts bring for the developing world, bring for India, and therefore India has maintained that dialogue is the only way to resolve conflicts and both sides should be sitting at the table and resolving these conflicts. And hosting Putin and Pezeshkian, of course, is intended to ensure that these nations continue to engage in a dialogue process and India will continue to make this case for peace to all its relevant partners."

India's mediation philosophy is anchored in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's definitive doctrine that "this is not an era of war" and that "endless war must now give way to the end of war". External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar recently conducted visits to both Ukraine and Russia, reiterating India's willingness to assist with suggestions that can lead to a cessation of hostilities. India remains in touch with both Moscow and Kyiv to explore peaceful resolution pathways, a stance that is well appreciated in the diplomatic world. Notably, PM Modi held bilateral meetings in Bishkek during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. In talks with President Pezeshkian, PM Modi expressed deep concern over West Asian tensions, calling for immediate dialogue, the protection of civilians, and the safeguarding of commercial shipping and seafarers. While in discussions with President Putin, PM Modi reviewed bilateral ties and exchanged perspectives on conflict resolution in the Black Sea, reiterating that dialogue and diplomacy remain the only viable pathway forward.

Despite the efforts for diplomacy outside the summit, as chair, India bears the critical responsibility of steering summit deliberations so that conflicting national perspectives do not turn the summit into a contentious geopolitical battleground. India achieves this by anchoring negotiations around shared Global South priorities—such as human-centred development, digital public infrastructure, local currency payment frameworks, resilient supply chains, and UN Security Council reform. In balancing these complex multilateral dynamics while hosting opposing sides, Harsh V. Pant underscores India's strategic push to keep channels of dialogue open. "India has always maintained that India's position remains in favor of peace... hosting Putin and Pezeshkian, of course, is intended to ensure that these nations continue to engage in a dialogue process and India will continue to make this case for peace to all its relevant partners,” he noted.

Significance of Putin and Pezeshkian's Attendance

The attendance of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in New Delhi carries immense diplomatic significance. Both leaders head states directly involved in major conflict zones and subject to extensive Western sanction regimes. Their participation underscores that BRICS provides an unmediated forum where major global powers engage directly on security and economic shock-proofing. Hosting these leaders enables face-to-face bilateral discussions with PM Modi and other BRICS heads of state, facilitating direct dialogue on ceasefire conditions, Black Sea trade corridor security, and West Asian stability.

A Vision for a New Global Order

Looking ahead, the 18th BRICS Summit represents a critical test of the bloc's ability to shape global outcomes. Evaluating whether BRICS can leverage this moment to offer a viable alternative to existing “multilateral institutions”, Harsh V Pant offers a forward-looking perspective on the bloc's role in global governance. "The summit itself will talk about the challenges that these conflicts have brought to the world, particularly for the developing world, and it will try to articulate an alternative vision for the world where practical solutions to global problems can be found, and where, away from conflict, the world can move towards peace and prosperity and by working together. So I think at this point when the multilateral institutions no longer seem to be very functional, BRICS as a plurilateral platform certainly is providing a relatively optimistic outlook because many countries feel that their voices are not heard in other multilateral platforms and BRICS can amplify their concerns and their voices,” he highlighted.

The red carpet has been rolled out, the agenda is set and the meetings have been lined up; all that is left to see is how successful the leaders will be in dealing with matters ranging from trade to warfare as New Delhi braces to play its part as the host of the 18th BRICS Leaders' Summit.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)