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

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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

UK considers post-war air patrols over Ukraine

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Sources in the British government and the Royal Air Force have told The Times that Britain may deploy Typhoon fighter jets to patrol the skies over Ukraine after the war ends and a peace agreement is signed.

London is reportedly considering setting up an “air police” mission similar to the NATO program that has protected the airspace of the Baltic states since 2004.

One of the sources told The Times that this option was more likely than establishing a no-fly zone over the country, which would require aircraft to patrol the skies over Ukraine 24 hours a day.

Dozens of “heavily armed” fighter jets, planned to be stationed in Poland and ready to take off at any time, are expected to take part in this “police mission.”

According to The Times, this solution could be part of the security guarantees for Ukraine and allow for a smaller military contingent to be brought in to monitor compliance with the peace agreements on the ground.

This would require the UK to deploy a significant number of aircraft and air defense systems.

“We are prepared to do whatever we are told to do,” said The Times’ source in the Royal Air Force, adding that discussions on the matter were still at an early stage.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has previously stated that his country needs 100,000 European peacekeepers to prevent Russia from attacking again after the end of the military conflict.

According to The Washington Post, however, the European Union (EU) is only able to send 25,000 to 30,000 troops.

Germany, Italy, and Poland doubted the appropriateness of this decision, while France suggested that the peacekeepers should not be sent to the line of contact with the Russian army, but to the rear of Ukraine, where they would train soldiers and supply the Ukrainian army.

US President Donald Trump supported the idea of deploying European peacekeepers in Ukraine but emphasized that there would be no US contingent.

In the first official talks between the US and Russia since the start of the military intervention in Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov expressed Moscow’s dissatisfaction with the proposals for the deployment of European forces in Ukraine.

Lavrov said that the Russian side conveyed to the American officials that the appearance of NATO troops on the territory of Ukraine, even “under a foreign flag, the flag of the European Union or national flags,” is unacceptable.

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First official Russia-US talks since Ukraine war begin in Riyadh

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Representatives from Russia and the United States (US) have commenced their first official high-level talks since the onset of the Ukrainian war in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The meeting is being held at the Diriyah Palace, a residence of the Saudi royal family. The Russian delegation includes Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Deputy President Yuri Ushakov, and Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) President Kirill Dmitriev. Representing the US are Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, and White House Special Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff.

Discussions are anticipated to cover preparations for potential negotiations to end the Russia-Ukraine war, as well as the arrangement of a direct meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump.

Before the talks began, RDIF President Dmitriev indicated that Russia had presented the US with several proposals in the trade and economic sectors, anticipating progress within two to three months.

“The American business community has lost over $300 billion by withdrawing from the Russian market. Thus, identifying mutual economic avenues and constructive solutions is crucial for the United States and other nations, which are recognizing the Russian market’s appeal and the necessity of maintaining a presence there,” Dmitriev stated.

Dmitriev further mentioned that Russia and the US should initiate joint projects, particularly in the Arctic.

A Washington Post source revealed that the Kremlin’s primary objective in the negotiations is the removal of sanctions against Russia, including those impacting senior officials and prominent Russian billionaires.

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky previously stated that Kyiv would not acknowledge the outcomes of the Russia-US talks in Riyadh.

“Ukraine views any discussions about Ukraine without Ukraine’s participation as unproductive. We cannot accept any outcomes or agreements made about us without our involvement,” Zelensky asserted.

NBC News television sources reported that the US plans to conduct a separate meeting with Ukrainian officials prior to direct negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv.

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NATO criticizes Ukrainian army’s ‘wasteful’ use of Western weapons

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The Sunday Telegraph, citing a source, reported that NATO is dissatisfied with the Ukrainian army’s use of Western-supplied weapons alongside Soviet ones.

This is resulting in the wasteful use of weapons provided by allies due to their different approaches to using weapons.

According to the newspaper, NATO advocates the use of high-precision weapons from different sources, while the Soviet approach calls for intensive use of cheap firepower.

An official involved in the training of Ukrainian soldiers told the newspaper that the Ukrainians were using British-supplied NLAW anti-tank missiles (around 5,000) as hand-held anti-tank grenade launchers (RPGs).

It was reported that the soldiers were firing salvos of five or six rockets, but that each rocket cost around £20,000 (2.2 million rubles at the time).

It was emphasized that using RPGs was not that costly. The launch of the rockets was reportedly recorded on video, and Ukraine provided the footage for reporting purposes.

Other sources told the newspaper that Ukrainian troops often abandon their equipment during withdrawals and that NATO’s principle is to “leave nothing behind” due to the cost of the weapons.

In particular, it was noted that the Ukrainian army did not take the launchers of the Javelin anti-tank missiles, which cost $100,000, from the abandoned positions.

“The Russian army probably has more Javelins than the British army,” one of the newspaper’s sources said. The Russian side has been reporting the seizure of such anti-tank missile systems since 2022.

The Telegraph listed the reasons for Kiev’s departure from Western tactics as the lack of time to train Ukrainians and disagreements with instructors who were unfamiliar with real combat conditions.

It was stated that this situation caused Ukraine to demand cheaper firepower and that the West was forced to turn to former Warsaw Pact countries for Soviet weapons.

“Foreign training is not only ineffective, but also dangerous, unless it is adapted to Ukrainian conditions and integrated into existing unit practices,” said Sergey Filimonov, commander of Ukraine’s 108th battalion.

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