BRICS leaders gather in New Delhi as wars and rivalries strain the
expanded bloc
[September 11, 2026] By
AIJAZ HUSSAIN and SHEIKH SAALIQ
NEW DELHI (AP) — Leaders of the BRICS nations will meet in New Delhi
this weekend as wars in Ukraine and the Middle East and U.S.-China
tensions test the group’s ability to act together.
Host India will seek to balance its ties with China and Russia against
its growing partnerships with the United States and other Western
powers.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian are among the leaders expected to
attend.
BRICS is a grouping of major emerging markets and developing countries,
named after an acronym for Brazil, Russia, India, China and South
Africa. It has expanded from its original membership to include 11
countries that together represent about half the world’s population and
a large share of its energy, resources and economic output. Experts say
its growing size has also exposed divisions as its members want greater
influence in the global order but often have competing political,
economic and foreign-policy interests.
BRICS faces divisions over Iran and Ukraine
The conflicts in Iran and Ukraine are likely to highlight those
divisions. Iran is a member of the expanded BRICS, while Russia remains
one of its most influential members. China has close ties with both
countries, while India maintains relations with Russia, Iran, the United
States and Europe.
That diversity makes it difficult for BRICS to take a strong common
position on major conflicts. The grouping includes countries with
competing regional ambitions, including India and China, Iran and Saudi
Arabia, and Egypt and Ethiopia, as well as other nations from the Global
South.
“The Global South is not a homogeneous entity,” said Praveen Donthi,
senior analyst with the International Crisis Group. “Hence, the grouping
will find it hard to manage and mediate in these conflicts.”
Russia’s war in Ukraine has already exposed the limits of India’s
ability to balance competing interests. New Delhi has maintained close
ties with Moscow, including through energy and defense pacts, while also
deepening its strategic relationship with Washington.
The South Asian nation has consistently called for dialogue and
diplomacy rather than taking sides.
The Iran-U.S. conflict poses a similar challenge. BRICS members have
differing ties with Washington and interests in the Middle East, making
a unified response difficult. China and Russia have backed Iran in
international forums, while India has taken a cautious approach. Saudi
Arabia and the UAE have their own tensions with Tehran.
India sees BRICS as a way to engage China
For India, the summit is an opportunity to manage its relationship with
China. Ties have improved since border tensions escalated in 2020, but
China remains India’s largest strategic rival.
Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to New Delhi, his first in seven
years, could help consolidate the recent diplomatic thaw but there are
few signs of a recovery in trade and business ties.
“The upcoming summit offers India an opportunity to engage with China,
make progress on outstanding bilateral issues,” Donthi said.
India also has an interest in preventing BRICS from becoming an
explicitly anti-Western bloc.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, leaves the plane upon his
arrival for the BRICS Summit in New Delhi, India, on Friday, Sept.
11, 2026. (Vladimir Smirnov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
 New Delhi has strengthened ties with
the United States, Israel, Japan, Australia and Europe while
maintaining its longstanding relationship with Russia.
“India will project its strategic autonomy by being part of a
non-West grouping but also finds it useful to engage with China, its
primary strategic rival,” Donthi said.
The grouping wants less reliance on the dollar
Reducing dependence on the U.S. dollar is a major issue for BRICS.
Members have discussed increasing trade in their own currencies and
creating payment systems that would reduce their reliance on Western
financial institutions.
The idea has gained momentum as countries such as Russia face
sweeping Western sanctions. But replacing the dollar will be
difficult, as it is deeply embedded in global trade and finance,
while BRICS members have different currencies, financial systems and
economic priorities.
Mahesh Sachdev, a retired Indian diplomat, said the goal should not
be a direct confrontation with the dollar. Instead, he said,
countries want to reduce their exposure to the current financial
system that can be used for political pressure.
“It’s a challenge, but we’re not talking about frontal
confrontations. It’s not a binary situation,” he said.
Its influence will depend on what it can deliver
BRICS’ growing membership also gives it considerable weight, but its
influence will ultimately depend on whether the members can agree on
practical steps.
The group has called for changes to global financial institutions,
greater representation for developing countries and alternatives to
Western-dominated systems. Yet its members often disagree on how to
achieve those goals.
Sachdev BRICS needs “more cohesive attitude and better harmony”
among its members.
“If it remains just a periodic talking shop and photo ops,” he said,
“then its relevance erodes.”
Donthi said BRICS’ success could be measured in smaller steps. These
include keeping the expanded group together, improving ties with
China, and deepening trade and financial cooperation. The grouping
could also show that it can give developing countries a platform
without forcing them to choose between Western and non-Western
blocs, he said.
“BRICS allows for incremental geopolitical gains, if not outright
wins,” Donthi said.
___
Associated Press journalist Piyush Nagpal contributed to this
report.
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