Diplomacy
Putin gets the BRICS win he wanted by bringing Modi and Xi together

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi used the BRICS summit in Russia on Wednesday to signal their intent to build a more harmonious relationship after years of hostility between the world’s two most populous countries.
The meeting between Xi and Modi, who had not held formal talks in five years, was one of the highlights of the summit. President Vladimir Putin used the event to demonstrate that Western efforts to isolate Russia over the war in Ukraine had failed.
The summit’s final declaration listed several initiatives to boost trade among BRICS countries, including the development of an alternative payment system to the U.S. dollar, though no specifics or timelines were provided.
Just two days after New Delhi announced that it had reached an agreement with Beijing to resolve four years of military tensions along their disputed Himalayan border, Xi told Modi that both countries should enhance communication and cooperation while effectively managing their differences.
“It is in the fundamental interests of both countries and their peoples that China and India correctly understand the trajectory of history and the future direction of their relations,” Xi said, according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV.
In response, Modi emphasized the importance of maintaining peace and stability along the border, stressing that mutual trust, respect, and sensitivity should form the foundation of their relationship.
“We welcome the fact that agreement has been reached on the issues that have arisen over the last four years,” Modi told Xi in remarks broadcast on India’s state television, Doordarshan.
The BRICS group, now representing 45% of the world’s population and 35% of its economy, held its summit at the same time as the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank in Washington.
Former Goldman Sachs economist Jim O’Neill, who coined the term BRIC in 2001, told Reuters that he had little optimism for the BRICS group as long as China and India remained deeply divided.
“It basically looks to me like a symbolic annual meeting where important emerging economies like China, and especially vocal countries like Russia, can come together to emphasize how good it feels to be part of something that doesn’t involve the U.S., and to point out that global governance isn’t good enough,” O’Neill said.
However, the handshake between the leaders of India and China, along with the steps taken to resolve their border disputes in the lead-up to the summit, surprised many Western observers.
Highlights of the final declaration
In a show of defiance against Western efforts to isolate him, Putin hosted more than 20 world leaders, including Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, at the summit in the Volga River city of Kazan.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres also attended, reinforcing Putin’s message.
Although the final declaration did not include detailed statements on the Ukraine crisis, the issue was on the leaders’ agenda. Modi told Putin he wanted peace in Ukraine, while Xi Jinping and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE leader who has attempted to mediate, also discussed the war in closed-door talks with Putin.
The summit’s 43-page final declaration addressed a wide range of issues, from geopolitics and drug trafficking to artificial intelligence and even big cat conservation. Ukraine was mentioned only once.
“We note with appreciation the relevant proposals for mediation and goodwill missions aimed at the peaceful resolution of the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy,” the Kazan declaration stated.
The document also called for a ceasefire in Gaza and the West Bank and condemned Israeli attacks on humanitarian aid operations, personnel, and distribution points.
While there were few specifics on alternative payment systems, the BRICS leaders expressed interest in their development and instructed central banks to report back during the next presidential term.
Citing factors such as population growth, urbanization, capital accumulation, and productivity growth, Putin said: “The trend towards the leading role of BRICS in the world economy will continue to strengthen.”
China and India currently buy about 90% of Russia’s oil, which remains Moscow’s largest foreign exchange earner. Russia is the world’s second-largest oil exporter.
The leaders indicated their intent to promote the institutional development of BRICS, though it was unclear whether the group would be expanded.
Putin noted that more than 30 countries had expressed interest in joining BRICS, but he emphasized the importance of maintaining balance in any future expansion.
Diplomacy
Juan Carrero condemns global indifference to tragedies in Gaza and Congo

In a speech at the International Peace Coalition meeting organized by the Schiller Institute, Juan Carrero, President of the s’Olivar Foundation in Spain, stated that the world has become “morally dead” by ignoring major tragedies in Gaza, Syria, and Africa. He argued that this moral decay fuels the madness of war.
Carrero noted that resisting countries like Iran possess something far more powerful than nuclear weapons, saying, “This is honor.”
Describing the analyses at the meeting as “sensible, courageous, and enlightening,” Carrero highlighted the Schiller Institute’s consistent emphasis on the importance of morality alongside its geostrategic analyses.
‘Moral death is worse’
Carrero stated that moral corruption has always been at the root of the destructive collapse of empires and all war frenzies in history. “Those pursuing a delusional expansionist project aim to bring about regime change in Iran. This is the last of the seven regime changes they have planned. They claim to be very concerned about Iran obtaining a nuclear bomb,” he said.
Carrero emphasized that Iran and many other countries resisting the latest follies of the collapsing Anglo-Western empire possess something far more powerful than nuclear weapons, reiterating, “This is honor.” He added that Iran does not see the assassination of its generals or nuclear scientists in their homes with their families as a failure. He continued:
“Each of them is a martyr whose blood will give life to their people. On this matter, both heroic military leaders and political activists agree with the advocates of the non-violence movement. There is something much worse than physical death, and that is moral death.”
‘The world is morally dead’
Carrero asserted that a world that ignores the tragedies in Gaza, Syria, or Africa because they are not thought to directly trigger a nuclear catastrophe is a “worthless and morally dead” world.
“The same applies to a world that does not care about Africa because the conflicts there are not waged with weapons of mass destruction or weapons that could destroy our Anglo-Western way of life,” Carrero assessed.
In his speech, Carrero pointed to a series of “follies” that should not be tolerated, including the “Greater Israel project,” the “desire for Russia’s collapse,” and the quest by “the genocidal Paul Kagame to annex the vast eastern territories of the Democratic Republic of Congo.”
Specifically addressing the situation in Congo, Carrero noted that the country has 7 million refugees, millions of victims, and hundreds of thousands of cases of rape. He stated that heroic leaders like Victor Ingabir, who could end this madness, are systematically killed or imprisoned.
“Despite the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights ruling in his favor, Paul Kagame has abducted him once again, and no one can reach him,” Carrero said.
Carrero concluded his speech by presenting a video message from the 1980 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Adolfo Perez Esquivel, which included a call to “disarm the armed consciences and stop the wars and lies.”
Diplomacy
Iran must reverse religious fatwa to develop nuclear weapons, says McGovern

Former US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) analyst Ray McGovern stated that his country, the United States, is enabling the ongoing genocide in Gaza. “The genocide is happening as we speak. This genocide is happening thanks to my country and others who could pick up the phone and stop it,” he said.
McGovern called on everyone not just to analyze the situation but to take concrete action.
Speaking at an International Peace Coalition meeting organized by the Schiller Institute, McGovern described the US halting arms shipments to Ukraine as a “long-overdue development.”
Criticizing the idea that European leaders could fill the void left by the US, McGovern described the coalition formed by figures like French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz as “brain-dead.”
The Noah principle: Reward those who build arks
Focusing on the situation in Gaza, McGovern invited participants to commit to silence and action.
Referring to what he called the “Noah Principle,” McGovern stated, “No more rewards for predicting rain; the rewards are only for those who build arks. When we leave this meeting, let’s all start building our own little arks. It is a moral imperative to do what we can to stop the genocide.”
‘Europe has brain-dead leaders’
McGovern noted that one of the most significant developments of the past week was the hour-long phone call between former US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
He also considered the US decision to stop sending weapons to Ukraine a major development, directing sharp criticism toward European leaders.
Stating that he does not trust French President Macron, McGovern said, “Considering how his predecessors betrayed the Minsk Agreements, Macron has no credibility with Putin.”
McGovern likened European leaders Merz, Macron, and Starmer to a “litigious law firm,” remarking, “They are ambulance chasers. This coalition, in my view, is a brain-dead coalition. They will no longer have a role because they have neither the weapons nor the money. It is both immoral and foolish for them to give Ukraine the idea that they can replace the US.”
‘Germany is now Russia’s main enemy’
McGovern explained that a significant shift has occurred in Russian public opinion, with Germany replacing the US as Russia’s “main enemy” (Glavny Vrag).
He attributed this change to Germany, under Chancellor Scholz’s leadership, agreeing to the deployment of US medium-range, nuclear-capable ballistic missiles on German soil. McGovern also used the term “brain-dead” to describe Scholz.
‘Iran must change its fatwa for nuclear weapons’
Addressing the topic of Iran, McGovern mentioned that after Tehran expelled International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors from the country, oversight of its nuclear program has been limited to satellites.
He said this situation invalidates the long-standing US intelligence assessment that “Iran is not working on a nuclear weapon.”
McGovern highlighted the importance of the Iranian supreme leader’s fatwa prohibiting nuclear weapons. “I asked my Iranian friends if a fatwa is like an encyclical in the Catholic tradition. They laughed and said, ‘McGovern, you’re crazy.’ No, a fatwa is a fatwa. It binds all Iranians,” he explained.
According to McGovern, if Iran were to decide to build nuclear weapons, the supreme leader would have to publicly reverse this fatwa, a step that has not yet been taken.
‘A tectonic power shift has occurred’
At the end of his speech, McGovern noted that a “tectonic shift” has occurred in the global balance of power, with Russia and China cooperating in an unprecedented way, creating a “two-against-one” situation.
“I hope US decision-makers understand they can no longer play Russia against China or vice versa. They need a little common sense,” he concluded.
Diplomacy
Armenia signals potential complete withdrawal from CSTO

Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Vahan Kostanyan announced that Yerevan might decide to withdraw entirely from the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) if member states fail to “demonstrate a clear political stance” regarding Azerbaijan’s actions. Kostanyan emphasized that Armenia is no longer making insinuations but is speaking very openly.
According to the Novosti-Armenia news agency, Kostanyan stated, “Ultimately, if our partners in the CSTO, including the Russian Federation, do not make the political statements that were mentioned several years ago after the aggression against the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia, then Armenia will make a final decision.”
The Deputy Minister also underscored that Armenia, as a sovereign state, will determine the right time for its next steps.
Membership was frozen
Relations between Armenia, Russia, and the CSTO deteriorated following the conflicts in Nagorno-Karabakh, after which Yerevan formally requested support from its allies.
Following this process, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan repeatedly criticized the CSTO for not assisting Yerevan.
Pashinyan described the organization as a “bubble alliance,” claiming it was “planning a war” against Armenia alongside Baku.
Last February, Prime Minister Pashinyan announced that Armenia had frozen its participation in the CSTO. By May, the Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that the country would refuse to finance the organization’s activities.
Intelligence report points in the same direction
In January of this year, a public report released by the Armenian Foreign Intelligence Service stated that the country has no intention of returning to full participation in the CSTO in the near future.
The report noted, “We find it highly unlikely that the reasons that led to Armenia suspending its membership will change in 2025. Based on this situation, the organization’s prestige continues to be seriously questioned and has become a ’cause for reflection’ for other member countries.”
-
Europe2 weeks ago
Israel-Iran conflict postpones EU plan for Russian oil sanctions
-
Diplomacy2 weeks ago
NATO summit focuses on arms race in the Silicon Valley age
-
Europe2 weeks ago
Germany to expand military with 11,000 new personnel this year
-
Diplomacy2 weeks ago
Iranian foreign minister travels to Moscow for Putin talks after US strikes
-
Diplomacy2 weeks ago
Erdoğan to meet Trump at NATO summit to mend relations
-
Middle East2 weeks ago
US bombs Iranian nuclear sites, sparking fears of wider conflict
-
America2 weeks ago
Pentagon divided over military priorities in Asia and the Middle East
-
Asia2 weeks ago
Japan’s prime minister skips NATO summit amid alliance strain