Putin arrives in India for BRICS summit 2026 as Iran and Ukraine wars dominate talks with Modi, Pezeshkian and Xi Jinping. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian shake hands during a meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Bishkek on September 1, 2026 [Vyacheslav Prokofyev/Pool/AFP)
Putin arrives in India for BRICS summit 2026 as the Russian president reaches New Delhi for an 11-member meeting expected to focus heavily on the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, alongside growing economic challenges. The BRICS summit 2026 India meeting will also bring together Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and other major leaders for discussions with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian are scheduled to hold talks with Modi, while Chinese President Xi Jinping is also expected to meet the Indian prime minister on the sidelines of the two-day gathering.
Putin Arrives in India for BRICS Summit 2026
Putin arrives in India for BRICS summit 2026 after landing at Palam Air Force Station in New Delhi on Friday. According to footage broadcast by Russia’s Ria Novosti news agency, Putin was received by India’s Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh.
The Putin India visit comes as New Delhi prepares for a major international gathering amid heightened geopolitical tensions. Posters featuring a smiling Modi have been displayed throughout the capital ahead of the summit.
Security forces have also been deployed extensively across New Delhi, while traffic restrictions have been introduced in several central areas. Delhi police have asked residents and visitors to remain patient and cooperate with the authorities.
The arrival of Putin places Russia India relations and the wider geopolitical impact of the BRICS summit firmly in focus as member countries navigate conflicts affecting different parts of the world.
BRICS Summit 2026 India Faces Pressure From Middle East Conflict
BRICS originally refers to Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The group was established in 2009 as a forum for major emerging economies seeking a stronger role in international institutions traditionally dominated by Western powers.
The organisation has since expanded and now includes Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The three countries have sharply different positions regarding the US-Israel war on Iran launched in February.
The Iran war and BRICS are therefore expected to become a major issue during the gathering.
“The Gulf conflict is going to be the central fault line this time during the BRICS summit,” Harsh V Pant of India’s Observer Research Foundation told the AFP news agency.
“What was seen until last year as an achievement – the expansion of BRICS – today looks like a big constraint on BRICS,” Pant said.
The divisions among the expanded membership could test the group’s ability to maintain a unified position on the Middle East conflict.
Iran War Adds New Dimension to BRICS Talks
For Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, the meeting represents an important diplomatic engagement. His visit to India will be his first as Iranian president and is expected to place the Iran war firmly on the summit agenda.
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It is also the first visit to India by an Iranian president in eight years.
“The war in Iran will provide a stern test of the (expanded) group’s cohesion,” Shilan Shah of Capital Economics told AFP, pointing to the inability of BRICS foreign ministers to agree on a joint statement when they met in New Delhi in May.
India maintains cordial relations with both Iran and Israel. At the same time, New Delhi remains careful about maintaining a delicate balance in its relationship with Washington.
The BRICS summit 2026 India gathering therefore comes at a particularly sensitive moment for Indian diplomacy, with New Delhi managing relationships with countries on opposing sides of major geopolitical disputes.
Ukraine War Remains Important for India and Russia
The Ukraine war BRICS summit discussions are also expected to remain significant as Russia’s war against Ukraine continues.
India has dealt with the energy crisis resulting from the war on Iran partly by turning to Russia, one of its most important strategic partners and one of its most controversial fuel suppliers in recent years.
The Putin India visit also highlights the continuing importance of the relationship between Moscow and New Delhi. Putin last travelled to India in December 2025, although he met Modi again this month in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan.
Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar also travelled to Kyiv this month. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he was “grateful to India for its commitment to ending this unjust war”.
The developments underline the complicated diplomatic position India occupies while maintaining ties with Russia, Ukraine and the United States.
Xi Jinping’s India Visit Signals Cautious Thaw
Chinese President Xi Jinping is also expected to meet Modi during the gathering. For Xi, the BRICS summit 2026 India visit will mark his first trip to India since 2019.
His return represents the biggest step so far in a cautious improvement in relations between the two rival neighbours, coming six years after a deadly military confrontation along their disputed Himalayan border.
India China relations have shown signs of improvement in recent months. Flights, visas and high-level diplomatic contacts have gradually begun returning.
However, significant challenges remain between the two nuclear-armed Asian powers. Deep mistrust continues over their disputed frontier, while a growing trade deficit and strategic competition remain major obstacles to closer ties.
The expected meeting between Xi and Modi could therefore become an important development alongside the broader discussions surrounding the BRICS summit.
Putin India Visit Comes as BRICS Faces Geopolitical Challenges
The Putin arrives in India for BRICS summit 2026 meeting takes place against a backdrop of multiple conflicts and economic pressures affecting member states differently.
With Putin, Pezeshkian and Xi expected to meet Modi, New Delhi will become the centre of high-level diplomatic discussions involving Russia, Iran, China and other BRICS members.
The expansion of BRICS has increased the group’s global reach, but the contrasting positions of its members on the Iran war, the Ukraine war and other geopolitical issues could make consensus more difficult.
For India, the summit offers another opportunity to balance its relationships with major global powers while addressing the economic and security challenges created by ongoing conflicts.
As the two-day gathering begins, the Putin India visit, the Middle East conflict and the continuing war in Ukraine are set to remain among the most closely watched issues. The Times of Russia will continue to follow developments surrounding the BRICS summit 2026 India meeting and the diplomatic discussions involving its key leaders.
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