The meeting in Kazan began on Tuesday under Russian hosting, and the start of the summit showed the signals that the Kremlin wants to send.
Putin started by meeting the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He emphasized that India has a special relationship with Russia.
Strategic partnership
Russian-Indian relations have an orientation towards a special strategic partnership that continues to develop, said Putin in connection with the two shaking hands in front of the cameras.
In turn, Modi said that India supports a swift return to peace in Ukraine, without developing how such peace would look like.
We have been in constant contact over the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. We believe that the dispute could be resolved peacefully. We fully support the efforts to restore peace and security, said Modi.
Many want in
The original so-called Brics countries consist of China, South Africa, and Brazil, in addition to Russia and India. Additional countries have been invited or are seeking membership in the group.
The loosely composed group strengthened its global presence at the previous summit when South Africa hosted. Then, the original countries agreed to expand the group with countries such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates, and Iran. Even Argentina has previously shown interest in joining the group.
In total, about 40 countries have expressed interest in joining the Brics association.
Moscow announced on Monday that UN Secretary-General António Guterres is traveling to Kazan and the summit, which lasts for two days.
At an earlier meeting, weeks after the Russian invasion of Ukraine began, the two met in Moscow. Then, Guterres advocated for an immediate ceasefire, which was not heeded by the Kremlin.
