New Delhi (GNP): The BRICS summit in New Delhi is being overshadowed by ongoing wars, deepening geopolitical rivalries and internal divisions among its members, laying bare the challenge of turning the expanding bloc into a coherent force in global affairs.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is hosting Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and leaders of the other BRICS member states for discussions on trade, investment and global conflicts.
Xi arrived in New Delhi on Saturday to attend the 18th BRICS summit at Modi’s invitation, according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV, which confirmed his arrival by special plane shortly after noon local time. Yet even as leaders gather for talks on cooperation, the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, combined with rising tensions between the United States and China, have placed the bloc’s competing interests firmly under the spotlight.
The conflicts in Iran and Ukraine present particularly difficult challenges for the grouping. Iran is a member of the expanded bloc, while Russia remains one of its most influential participants. China maintains close ties with both Moscow and Tehran, while India has sought to preserve relationships with Russia, Iran, the United States and Europe simultaneously. Praveen Donthi, senior analyst with the International Crisis Group, said the Global South is not a homogeneous entity, making it difficult for the grouping to manage or mediate in these conflicts.
These divisions extend well beyond the major wars. BRICS brings together countries with competing regional interests, including India and China, Iran and Saudi Arabia, and Egypt and Ethiopia, a diversity that makes it difficult for the bloc to adopt a strong common position on major international crises.
Russia’s war in Ukraine has already tested India’s ability to balance its competing relationships. New Delhi has maintained close ties with Moscow, including in energy and defence cooperation, while simultaneously deepening its strategic partnership with Washington, consistently calling for dialogue and diplomacy rather than taking sides in the conflict.
The Iran-US confrontation presents a similar dilemma for the bloc, with China and Russia backing Iran in international forums while India has adopted a more cautious approach. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, both BRICS partners, also carry their own tensions with Tehran, further complicating efforts to present a unified position.
Reducing dependence on the US dollar remains another central ambition for the bloc. Members have discussed expanding trade in their own currencies and developing payment mechanisms that could lessen reliance on Western financial institutions, a push that has gained momentum as countries such as Russia face sweeping Western sanctions.
Replacing the dollar’s dominance remains difficult, however, given how deeply it is embedded in global trade and finance, and given that BRICS members operate under different currencies, financial systems and economic priorities.
Retired Indian diplomat Mahesh Sachdev said the goal is not necessarily to confront the dollar directly but to reduce countries’ exposure to a financial system that can be used as a tool of political pressure, describing the effort as a challenge rather than a binary confrontation.
BRICS has expanded considerably since its founding by Brazil, Russia, India and China in 2006, with South Africa joining in 2010. The bloc now comprises 11 members, representing roughly half the world’s population and a significant share of global economic output. Its members have consistently called for greater representation of developing countries within global institutions and for alternatives to Western-dominated financial systems, yet the group’s growing size may make internal consensus increasingly difficult to achieve.
Sachdev said BRICS needs a more cohesive attitude and better harmony among its members, warning that if it remains merely a periodic talking shop and photo opportunity, its relevance will erode. Donthi said the bloc could still demonstrate its value through smaller, practical steps, including keeping the expanded group together, strengthening economic ties and offering developing countries a platform without forcing them to choose between Western and non-Western blocs.
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For now, the summit is unfolding against a backdrop of wars and rivalries that underline one of BRICS’ most significant weaknesses: its members may agree on the need for a greater role in global affairs, but they remain deeply divided over how that role should be exercised.
Mahesh Sachdev said BRICS needs a more cohesive attitude and better harmony among its members to remain relevant.
Managing Editor at Global News Pakistan (GNP), with a Bachelor's degree in International Relations from Riphah International University, graduated with a Gold Medal. Reach out at sabahtareengnp@gmail.com
