Isolated from the West because of his war in Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin scored a diplomatic victory yesterday after welcoming the leaders of China, India and the Republic of South Africa (RSA) at the opening of a summit of emerging market countries that seek to restore balance in the world order currently dominated by the United States, writes the "New York Times", quoted by BTA.
Putin, who cannot travel abroad freely because of an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC), had the opportunity to present himself as a global state leader, welcoming figures such as Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the publication also writes. Xi's plane was escorted by a Russian fighter jet before landing in Kazan, where a red carpet, an honor guard and women in traditional costumes carrying piles of Tatar pastries known as chakchak awaited him, the New York Times added.
"The fact that 22 leaders and representatives from more than 30 countries arrived in Kazan two and a half years after the war began shows not only that Putin is not isolated internationally and that the ICC arrest warrant has limited application. It is also a sign that the war in Ukraine has become a new normal, accepted as a feature of international reality," Hannah Note of the James Martin Center for the Study of Nonproliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction told the New York Times. in California.
Nevertheless, President Putin has not been able to escape the shadow of the war in Ukraine, the American publication commented. "We are in constant contact regarding the conflict between Russia and Ukraine", the Indian Prime Minister told the Russian President. "We believe that disputes should be resolved only peacefully. We fully support efforts to quickly restore peace and stability", the Indian leader added.
This is Modi's second visit to Russia in the last three months, but in August he also visited Ukraine. Delhi has helped strengthen the Russian economy by ordering oil at reduced prices from Russian companies against which the United States and Europe have imposed sanctions, the "New York Times" points out.
Some countries, including China, Russia and Iran, want to use the BRICS to challenge the power of the United States and, in particular, its ability to impose economic sanctions. But others, such as India and Brazil, are more interested in reforming international institutions such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund to better serve the needs of the developing world, the American newspaper commented.
Iran is providing military support to Russia for its actions against Ukraine, supplying drones to the Russian army, writes the Berliner Morgenpost. Beijing is Moscow's most important ally. The Chinese president supports Putin and has allowed the delivery of goods that could also have military uses despite repeated warnings from the West, and countries such as India and Brazil do not strongly oppose Russia, the publication lists.
"The summit shows that major countries in Asia, Africa and South America do not adhere to the Western point of view regarding the war in Ukraine," said Stefan Meister of the German Council on Foreign Relations (a research institute based in Bonn). The West's attempt to win these countries over to its side in the conflict has not worked. "It is simply no longer possible for the West to convince other countries to follow its policy. We see the limits of Western policy," Meister added to the Berliner Morgenpost. India and Brazil had previously offered to mediate in achieving peace in Ukraine, but this was unacceptable to Kiev, the German publication recalls.
The British newspaper "The Guardian" draws attention to the efforts of some BRICS countries to achieve de-dollarization and the disagreements that arise on this issue. In a conversation with Dilma Rousseff, president of the New Development Bank (an international financial institution of the BRICS countries), Putin yesterday said that the use of local currencies instead of the dollar or euro "helps to preserve the independence of economic development from politics to the greatest extent possible," the publication points out.
India and Brazil share a desire to break free from the dominance of the dollar, but not to the extent that China or Russia do, the Guardian also writes. Despite the anti-Western rhetoric used in the forum's communiqués, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, for example, insisted that BRICS "is not against anyone". Brazil also opposes the admission of Venezuela to the format, a position linked to efforts to prevent its transformation into a completely anti-Western alliance, the Guardian points out. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro arrived in Kazan yesterday, his participation in the summit not having been announced in advance.
V. The Washington Post also commented on the disagreements between some BRICS countries. "There are many things that divide the main political players - from their systems of government to their geographical location and their geopolitical and economic interests", writes the American newspaper. The BRICS countries "differ in their principles and in their approach to hot global issues such as the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, and are also not fully united around some of the broader ambitions promoted by the bloc's leaders, including overcoming the dependence of world trade on the US dollar and reducing the specific threat posed by US sanctions", points out the "Washington Post".
The American magazine "Foreign Policy" announces some key events expected today in Kazan. Narendra Modi will talk with Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the summit, after China confirmed yesterday that it had reached an agreement with India to jointly patrol their common disputed border. In addition, Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian is expected to sign a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement with Moscow, which will deepen the two countries' relations in the field of defense and military affairs.