### Putin Hosts High-Profile BRICS Summit to Counter Western Influence

Two dozen global leaders will convene in Russia next week for a pivotal BRICS summit. This event, the largest of its kind in Russia since the onset of the Ukraine conflict, marks a significant diplomatic moment for Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Kremlin aims to demonstrate that Western efforts to isolate Moscow have been unsuccessful.

The summit will take place in the city of Kazan from October 22 to 24. Attendees include UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Brazilian President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also expected to participate.

BRICS, an alliance consisting of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, forms a core component of Russia's foreign policy strategy. The agenda for this year's summit features discussions on creating a BRICS-led payment system to rival the international financial network SWIFT, from which Russian banks were excluded in 2022. Additionally, the escalating conflict in the Middle East is set to be a primary topic.

The Kremlin has promoted the gathering as a diplomatic success that will bolster an alliance capable of challenging Western dominance. While the United States has dismissed BRICS as a potential geopolitical challenger, it has expressed concern about Russia leveraging its diplomatic influence amid the ongoing Ukraine conflict. This year, Russia has made strides on the battlefield in eastern Ukraine and strengthened its relations with China, Iran, and North Korea—countries often at odds with Washington.

According to Moscow-based political analyst Konstantin Kalachev, the summit serves to illustrate that Russia is not isolated and continues to have partners and allies. Putin, who faced legal challenges from the International Criminal Court (ICC) preventing him from attending last year's summit in South Africa, seeks to show that alternative global alliances are viable and that a multipolar world is an emerging reality.

Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov emphasized BRICS as a model of multipolarity, uniting nations from the Southern and Eastern hemispheres based on principles of sovereignty and mutual respect. He described the group's efforts as gradually constructing a bridge toward a more democratic and equitable world order.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has cautioned that a victory for Putin in Ukraine could embolden other potential aggressors worldwide, arguing that successful violent expansion would set a dangerous precedent.

Since its establishment in 2009 with four initial members, BRICS has grown to include nations such as South Africa, Egypt, and Iran. Turkey, a NATO member with intricate ties to both Russia and the West, also expressed interest in joining the bloc in early September. All BRICS members will be represented by their leaders in Kazan, except for Saudi Arabia, which will send its foreign minister. The absence of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has sparked speculation about potential disagreements between two major energy producers, though overall, the Kremlin seems optimistic about the summit's proceedings.