Putin and Xi arrive in India for BRICS summit overshadowed by Ukraine and Middle East wars

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in New Delhi on Friday as leaders of the 11-member BRICS group gathered for a two-day summit expected to be overshadowed by the conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, along with mounting economic challenges facing the bloc.

Putin was greeted at the airport by India's Minister of State for External Affairs, Kirti Vardhan Singh. According to Indian diplomatic sources, Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian are set to hold talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while Chinese President Xi Jinping is also expected to meet Modi on the summit's sidelines.

A cautious thaw between China and India

The visit is Xi's first to India since 2019 and represents the most significant step yet in easing tensions between the two neighbours, six years after a deadly clash along their disputed Himalayan border. Flights, visas and high-level contacts have gradually resumed in recent months, though deep mistrust, an unresolved border dispute, a growing trade imbalance and strategic rivalry continue to complicate relations.

Security has been heavily reinforced across New Delhi, with traffic restrictions in central areas, while posters of Modi have been put up along city streets to welcome the visiting leaders.

War in the Gulf tests bloc's unity

BRICS was founded in 2009 as a platform for major emerging economies seeking more influence within institutions traditionally dominated by Western powers. Its membership has since grown to include Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates — countries holding sharply different views on the war launched by the United States and Israel in February. Analysts note that the bloc's expansion, once seen as an achievement, is now proving to be a source of internal strain.

The summit marks Pezeshkian's first visit to India as Iran's president, putting the Middle East conflict high on the agenda. Observers point out that BRICS foreign ministers already failed to agree on a joint statement when they met in New Delhi in May, raising doubts about the group's cohesion.

India maintains friendly ties with both Iran and Israel while carefully balancing its relationship with Washington. To manage the energy crisis stemming from the war involving Iran, India has increasingly turned to Russia — one of its key strategic partners and, amid the ongoing war in Ukraine, one of its most controversial fuel suppliers.

Putin last visited India in December 2025 and also met Modi earlier this month in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Meanwhile, Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar visited Kyiv this month, where Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked India for its commitment to ending the war.