For Vladimir Putin, the visual presentation is remarkably favorable.
Over two and a half years into his conflict in Ukraine, he is engaging in handshakes this week with not just one world leader, not two, but over 20.
China’s Xi Jinping, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, new Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, and even Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the head of a NATO member nation and EU aspirant, are all present.
They have converged in the Russian city of Kazan for the BRICS summit dedicated to emerging economies.
As anticipated, the Russian leader exuded happiness as he engaged in a series of one-on-one sessions with various dignitaries.
The Kremlin’s communication is explicit – the West’s attempts to alienate Russia have failed. Rather than losing allies, Moscow has gained them.
Mr. Putin and Mr. Xi exchange handshakes during their discussions at the BRICS Summit. Pic: AP
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“This underscores the fragility of the sanctions framework,” Mark Galeotti, the principal director of Mayak Intelligence, conveyed to Sky News.
“There was a considerable overestimation regarding the West’s ability to impose a stranglehold on Russia, and numerous countries are, frankly, unwilling to engage in such ventures.
“It reveals how in this intricately interconnected and complex modern world, isolating any nation, particularly one as vast and involved in global trade as Russia, is quite challenging.”
Mr. Putin greets Narendra Modi during their encounter at the BRICS Summit in Kazan. Pic: Reuters
The inaugural BRIC summit took place in 2009, which included Brazil, Russia, India, and China. South Africa joined the following year, adding the “S” to the acronym.
For a significant portion of the past fifteen years, this group has been regarded by economists as an alphabetic jumble of nations – too dispersed and inherently distinct from one another to forge any substantial alliance.
However, in recent years, it has attained greater relevance and appears to wield increasing influence.
‘A formidable platform’
The consortium has broadened its membership to incorporate Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates. Saudi Arabia has also received an invitation, and according to Russian sources, numerous other nations are eager to join the collective.
This is occurring despite Russia’s large-scale incursion into Ukraine and the West’s attempts to portray Mr. Putin as a war criminal.
“Many countries in the Global South are largely indifferent to the narrative regarding Russia’s rule violations,” Alexander Gabuev, director of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, conveyed to Sky News.
“All the inquiries regarding ‘what about Iraq?’ are not simply a reflection of Russian propaganda, but rather a sincere concern about the potential misuse of power by the US as the leading nation.
“They understand that the present international framework supported by the US does not truly serve their interests, and while they are uncertain about the alternative, BRICS presents a formidable platform to address these matters.”
This week’s priorities include establishing an alternative mechanism for international transactions, which Mr. Putin envisions will mitigate the supremacy of the dollar and shield BRICS nations from Western sanctions.
Although there has been much discussion about sanctions not achieving their intended impact, they have indeed posed challenges for Russia.
The nation has become isolated from global markets and recently, it has encountered obstacles with cross-border commerce, even with allied nations such as China, due to its dollar associations and the looming risk of secondary sanctions from the US.
A completely new system that does not involve the dollar could circumvent these challenges, although the likelihood of its emergence this week is slim.
For starters, the concept is still in preliminary stages. Furthermore, not all BRICS members, such as India and Brazil, align with Mr. Putin’s adversarial stance towards the West.
“These nations express trepidation regarding how closely they should align with Russia or support an agenda that is perceived as endorsing the distressing war initiated by Russia in Ukraine,” Mr. Gabuev remarked.
Brazil and India are not isolated in this regard. Saudi Arabia and Turkey maintain robust connections with the West as well. Their involvement in Kazan appears to represent an effort to balance relations rather than explicit backing of Russia.
Nevertheless, the sentiment among the residents of Kazan seems indifferent to this; most individuals we have interviewed here perceive the summit as envisioned by the Kremlin.
“This is an exceptional occasion,” Alexandra expressed. “I believe it signifies a pivotal moment, indicating that the world is transitioning to a multipolar model.”
Alexei similarly expressed pride in his leader.
“He is exploring all possibilities and it’s yielding results,” he commented. “If anyone believes we’re isolated, it’s probably a reflection of their own perspective.”
However, not everyone shares this point of view.
Favaris highlights Russia’s growing relationship with North Korea: “If you consider yourself friends with a pariah, then you have sunk to an unprecedented low.”
