BRICS summit in New Delhi 2026 opens as leaders discuss wars, US tariffs, trade, AI, energy security and Global South cooperation.
The BRICS summit in New Delhi 2026 has opened against a backdrop of wars, trade tensions and growing global uncertainty, with leaders gathering in India’s capital to discuss major international and economic challenges. The annual BRICS summit is being hosted by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with China’s President Xi Jinping, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian among the key leaders attending, as reported by The Times of Russia.
The two-day meeting marks the fourth time India has hosted the summit. This year’s BRICS summit India 2026 comes at a particularly difficult moment for the expanded bloc, with conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine affecting energy supplies and shipping, while tariffs continue to put pressure on several member countries.
Trade, finance and international cooperation are expected to feature prominently in discussions. The expansion of non-Western cross-border payment systems and greater cooperation in artificial intelligence are also among the major issues on the agenda.
BRICS Summit in New Delhi 2026 Focuses on Wars, Trade and Tariffs
The BRICS summit in New Delhi 2026 comes as members face disagreements over how the bloc should respond to conflicts and economic pressure.
President Xi Jinping arrived in New Delhi on Saturday morning, marking his first visit to India in seven years. His arrival comes as the two Asian powers work to improve bilateral relations.
Before the summit, Modi met with Putin on Friday, with the two leaders agreeing to strengthen ties. Modi also held discussions with Iran’s President Pezeshkian, during which freedom of navigation and the safety of ship crews were raised.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto are also attending the meeting. The United Arab Emirates has sent Abu Dhabi’s crown prince as its representative.
Brazil, one of the bloc’s founding members, is represented by Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira, who is attending in place of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
The heads of the World Health Organization and the World Trade Organization are also in India, along with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
Key Divisions Within the BRICS Bloc
One of the major challenges for the BRICS countries global tensions discussion is the differing positions among members on international conflicts.
Iran and the United Arab Emirates, both BRICS members, are on opposing sides of the war involving Iran, the United States and Israel.
At last year’s summit, the bloc released a joint declaration condemning the 12-day US-Israeli bombing campaign against Iran’s leadership and nuclear programme. However, a meeting of BRICS foreign ministers in May this year ended without a joint statement on the conflict.
The bloc’s finance ministers and central bank governors have also raised objections to tariffs and non-tariff measures that they say distort international trade and are inconsistent with World Trade Organization rules.
The United States has imposed tariffs on several BRICS members under different justifications and has, in some cases, linked their removal to policy changes by the affected countries.
US President Donald Trump has called the bloc “anti-American” and warned that countries aligning with BRICS could face punitive tariffs.
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India Faces a Delicate Balancing Act
The India hosts BRICS summit meeting at a sensitive time, putting New Delhi in a difficult position as it attempts to address the competing interests of the bloc’s members.
“As the host, New Delhi has a delicate balancing act,” says Al Jazeera’s Um-e-Kulsoom Shariff, reporting from New Delhi.
The summit is expected to address trade, finance, technology, energy security, resilient supply chains and climate change. These issues are particularly significant as BRICS global south cooperation becomes an increasingly important part of the bloc’s wider agenda.
The meeting also takes place as the alliance marks its 20th anniversary. Its expanded membership presents both opportunities and challenges as the group seeks to increase its influence on global economic and political affairs.
For the BRICS summit wars and tariffs discussions, one of the central tests will be whether the expanded bloc can find enough common ground despite disagreements among its members.
The summit’s outcome could therefore be significant for the future direction of BRICS and its role in representing the interests of the Global South. The BRICS summit in New Delhi 2026 comes at a critical moment, with trade, conflict, technology, energy and financial cooperation all shaping the discussions, according to The Times of Russia.
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