Indicted by the International Criminal Court over Russia’s abductions of Ukrainian kids, Putin couldn’t attend the summit held exterior Johannesburg, with South Africa legally obliged to arrest him on struggle crimes expenses. Instead, he appeared through video hyperlink, seated alone at a big white desk in Moscow.

Putin, whose struggle towards Ukraine has roiled international vitality and meals markets, adopted an aggrieved, defensive tone in feedback to BRICS leaders Wednesday. He accused the West of “illegal” actions and “violation of basic norms,” a reference to sanctions and different measures designed to weaken Russia.

China’s awkward power play at the BRICS summit

Boris Bondarev, a former Russian diplomat who resigned from Moscow’s everlasting mission to the United Nations over his opposition to the struggle on Ukraine, mentioned each Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping hope to show BRICS into an anti-Western bloc. But he mentioned they face resistance from India and Brazil, which have stronger ties with the United States and Europe.

“Brazil or India [are] much more pro-Western,” he mentioned. “And, of course, nobody in this bloc is willing to put themselves in the position that Russia is currently in, as an open adversary of the West and the United States, risking armed confrontation.”

While different BRICS leaders used their speeches to name for international equality, Putin’s remarks Wednesday have been aimed squarely at his Western adversaries.

“We are against any kind of hegemony,” he mentioned throughout the opening session, accusing his enemies of “continuing neocolonialism.”

Launching into a well-recognized protection of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, he as soon as extra blamed the West, claiming it was “the desire of some countries to maintain this hegemony that led to the severe crisis in Ukraine.”

The summit’s central agenda merchandise was the proposed enlargement of the group, together with what number of nations might be a part of and below what guidelines. Beijing’s want to develop BRICS is a part of a wider effort by Xi to remold worldwide techniques to accommodate Beijing’s pursuits.

Xi unexpectedly skipped the summit’s enterprise discussion board Tuesday however reappeared Wednesday, calling for BRICS to speed up its enlargement and warning that the “Cold War mentality is still haunting our world.”

He mentioned BRICS should struggle decoupling, provide chain disruption and “economic coercion,” a reference to Western sanctions, as he warned of a fragile international financial restoration. Xi known as for all international locations to abide by the U.N. Charter and demanded that each one have an equal say within the writing of worldwide guidelines.

“It can’t be that whoever has the thicker arm or the loudest voice has the final say,” he mentioned. His remarks in all probability resonated for a lot of the growing world, which frequently has felt pushed round by wealthier nations and excluded from the worldwide order.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, the host of the summit, expressed concern about the usage of international monetary and funds techniques “as instruments of geopolitical contestation.” Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva known as for decreasing the worldwide economic system’s reliance on the U.S. greenback because the chief reserve forex.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioned he supported increasing the bloc “based on consensus,” a sign that each one 5 leaders should endorse new members.

Dozens of countries have utilized to affix the group. The aspirants embrace Russian allies Iran and Venezuela, who are also below Western sanctions, and others together with Argentina, Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

But Beijing’s push for enlargement dangers exposing divisions amongst BRICS members over the aim and targets of the group, based on Bondarev. He in contrast it to the European Union’s enlargement between 2004 and 2007, when it accepted new members from Eastern and Central Europe.

He mentioned the need of many countries to affix BRICS was “just another symptom that the Global South and developing countries are searching for new instruments to raise their concerns and to be heard by the West.”

“So the West must do something, must take steps toward the Global South. And those steps should be quite convincing,” he continued.

Putin has overtly scoffed on the Western “rules-based” international order — invading Ukraine, concentrating on civilians and vitality infrastructure, imposing a Black Sea transport blockade, stealing and destroying Ukrainian grain and deporting Ukrainians, together with 1000’s of youngsters, to Russia.

He sees Russia as a terrific energy entitled to divide the world into spheres of affect, alongside the United States, China and Europe, at the same time as he pays lip service to a fairer international order wherein smaller states maintain extra sway.

Like Russia, China has lengthy seen BRICS as a helpful counterweight to perceived American dominance and a technique to place itself as a frontrunner of disaffected nations.

On Tuesday, Xi known as for better illustration of Global South international locations in international governance and praised growing international locations for escaping the “historical mire of colonialism,” in remarks delivered by Commerce Minister Wang Wentao.

He leveled accusations of hegemony and bullying at “some countries” — a thinly veiled reference to the United States and its allies.

“Whoever develops well, they want to contain; whoever catches up, they want to hinder,” Xi mentioned.

But simply as Putin’s message on international equality was undermined by his struggle in Ukraine, Xi’s enchantment for resilience was overshadowed by a looming financial disaster at dwelling.

Record youth unemployment, declining property gross sales and sluggish consumption in China have raised considerations that the world’s second-largest economic system is slowing far sooner than anticipated, a growth that would derail a fragile international restoration from the pandemic.

Still, Wang Wen, a scholar at Renmin University in Beijing, mentioned deeper coordination amongst an expanded BRICS bloc would “show the United States that emerging economies are determined and willing to defend their sovereignty and pursue development.”

“The goal of BRICS isn’t to oppose the United States, but its development is in itself a form of resistance,” he mentioned.

For Konstantin Sonin, a Russian political and financial analyst on the University of Chicago, the gathering bolstered his view that BRICS stays a “superficial structure,” missing cohesion or widespread targets.

“I’m not sure that there is anything that unites these countries other than the fact that 20 years ago they were all developing economies,” he mentioned.

Dixon reported from Riga, Latvia, and Shepherd from Taipei, Taiwan. Pei-Lin Wu in Taipei contributed to this report.