Putin Lands in India for BRICS Summit Shaped by Wars, Tariffs - Bloomberg.com

**Putin Touches Down in New Delhi Ahead of a Turbulent BRICS Summit**

Russian President **Vladimir Putin** arrived in India on Thursday, marking the opening salvo of a three‑day diplomatic sprint that will culminate in the BRICS leaders’ summit in Delhi. The gathering comes at a moment when the bloc—Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa—is grappling with the fallout of protracted wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, as well as a wave of protectionist tariffs imposed by Western economies. Bloomberg notes that the summit’s agenda is expected to focus on “wars, tariffs and the search for alternative financial architectures,” underscoring the group’s intent to shield its economies from sanctions and supply‑chain disruptions.

Prime Minister **Narendra Modi** hosted Putin for a bilateral meeting that began shortly after the Russian leader’s arrival, a session that was broadcast live by NDTV. While the two leaders refrained from overtly confronting the Ukraine conflict, they discussed expanding trade, energy cooperation, and coordination on multilateral platforms such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. In parallel, the summit’s schedule features a total of fifteen bilateral engagements, bringing together heads of state and senior officials from across the globe, including Chinese President **Xi Jinping**, Iranian Foreign Minister **Hossein Pezeshkian**, and AIIB President **Zou Jiayi**, who arrived earlier this week to discuss financing for infrastructure projects within BRICS nations.

Analysts view the Delhi summit as a litmus test for the bloc’s relevance amid shifting global power dynamics. With the United States and European Union tightening export controls on technology and imposing tariffs on steel, aluminum and other strategic commodities, BRICS members are exploring alternatives such as a common payment system and deeper intra‑bloc trade ties. The outcomes of the bilateral talks—especially the Modi‑Putin dialogue—will likely influence the summit’s final communique, which is expected to call for “respect for sovereignty, non‑interference and the reform of the international financial architecture.” The world will be watching to see whether the BRICS coalition can translate its political rhetoric into concrete economic measures that mitigate the impact of external sanctions and trade barriers.