BRICS Summit Opens in Brazil Without Xi, Putin Amid Global Tensions

The expanded BRICS bloc, now including Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE alongside its founding members, convened in Rio de Janeiro for a summit focused on enhancing economic cooperation, reforming international institutions, and countering Western dominance. The summit, chaired by Brazil, addressed pressing issues such as global trade tensions exacerbated by U.S. President Donald Trump's aggressive tariff policies, which BRICS leaders criticized as illegal and harmful to the global economy. Notably, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin were absent—Xi delegating to Prime Minister Li Qiang and Putin participating virtually due to an ICC arrest warrant—raising questions about the bloc's unity and influence. Discussions also centered on multilateralism, global health, AI, climate change, and efforts toward 'de-dollarisation' to reduce reliance on the U.S. dollar in international trade. The group, representing nearly half the world's population and a significant share of global GDP and trade, positioned itself as a unified voice for the Global South amid increasing geopolitical tensions. Heightened security measures and high-level diplomatic participation underscored the summit's importance amid ongoing international pressures and strategic realignments.