The world leaders meet - on Putin's red carpet

Vladimir Putin

World leaders come to Putin despite Western sanctions

Wolfgang Hansson

This is a commenting text. Analysis and positions are the writer's.

Published 18.44

Quick version

• Despite the West's attempts to isolate Russia, Putin has been visited by several world leaders at the Brics meeting in Kazan, showing that these attempts have not had the full effect. Many countries continue to have good relations with Russia.
• Brics, a group of major economies as an alternative to the West, now includes new members such as Saudi Arabia and Iran. The meeting offers a platform for these nations to challenge the international order dominated by the West.
• Turkey is applying for Brics membership, signaling a potential geopolitical shift and example of growing discontent within parts of the traditional Western alliance. This can affect the balance of power globally.
  

Vladimir Putin met several world leaders at the Brics meeting, which was organized in Kazan, Russia. Photo: Stanislav Krasilnikov / AP

While the West is doing everything to isolate Vladimir Putin and Russia, a large part of the world has no problem associating with the dictator who had the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.

When some 20 world leaders come to visit, it gives Putin a chance to wash away the pariah label and try to build a united front against the West.

Here in the West, we are easily taught the idea that large parts of the world are behind NATO's attempts to stop Russian aggression.

It is not so.

Although many countries initially protested Russia's invasion, this has not stopped them from maintaining good relations with Russia.

We see proof of that today when presidents and prime ministers from around 30 countries are welcomed by Putin to the BRICS meeting in Kazan in southern Russia.

For three days, it will be packed with celebrities in the form of Turkey's Erdogan, India's Narenda Modi, China's Xi Jinping and South Africa's Cyril Ramaphosa to name a few.

The fact that Putin is accused of war crimes at the International Court of Justice in The Hague does not seem to concern any of them.

It is also rumored that UN chief Antonio Guitterez will come.

Brics is a cooperative organization that has existed for 15 years and whose purpose is to be a counterweight to the Western group of the world's richest countries, the G7 and the liberal world order in general.

The group originally consisted of Brazil, Russia, China and India with South Africa joining in 2010, a year after its founding. Recently, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates were inducted as members.

In other words, some of the world's largest and most powerful countries outside the Western world are part of Brics.

 

Photo: Vyacheslav Prokofyev / AP

The insulation does not work

Not since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has Putin been visited by such a huge list of foreign dignitaries.

This means that, at least in front of the home audience, he can present himself as a great statesman with many friends in the world.

The meeting will also be proof that the West's attempt to isolate Russia is not fully working. Anyone realizes that the West's economic sanctions against Russia cannot have full effect if Putin is simultaneously cooperating with some of the world's largest economies.

India buys up much of the Russian oil that was previously purchased by the West.

China supplies Russia with high-tech products that have both civilian and military uses.

Iran sends both drones and robots that Russia uses for its warfare in Ukraine.

A number of other countries also help Russia circumvent the sanctions and thus contribute to Russia's ability to continue the offensive in Ukraine.

Although a number of the BRICS countries want to maintain good relations with the West, Putin hopes to use the group to challenge the Western world order. Not least by establishing an alternative currency to the US dollar.

In this he is wholeheartedly supported by at least China and Iran who believe that the West is trying to hold back their development with unfair sanctions.

Chinese President Xi Jinping. Photo: Alexander Vilf / AP

Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez (left) arriving at the meeting in Kazan. Photo: Alexei Danichev / AP

Internal battles

India, Brazil and South Africa are democracies but still have some sympathy for the attempts to break the dominance of the West when it comes to the world economy and what rules should apply in the liberal, rules-based world order.

Brics is far from a unified group. There are many internal battles. Not least between Ind

Internal battles

India, Brazil and South Africa are democracies but still have some sympathy for the attempts to break the dominance of the West when it comes to the world economy and what rules should apply in the liberal, rules-based world order.

Brics is far from a unified group. There are many internal battles. Not least between India and China. But there is a fundamental will to change the way the world is governed.

It is not likely that Putin will succeed in building any major anti-Western alliance during the meeting, but the mere fact that the leaders of so many major countries are prepared to be seen together with him strengthens Putin's position.

It raised some raised eyebrows when Turkey formally applied for Brics membership last month. In that case, they will be the first NATO country to join.

President Erdogan likes to play the role of regional superpower with one foot in the West and one in the East. But he seems to have better relations with Vladimir Putin than with US President Biden.

One can also see Turkey's application as an expression of irritation that EU membership looks increasingly distant.

 

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi as he arrived at the BRICS meeting. Photo: Ekaterina Chesnokova / AP

 

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the meeting. Photo: Stanislav Krasilnikov / AP

Geopolitical shifts

The meeting in Russia and the expansion of Brics is a reminder of the major geopolitical shifts underway in the world. The US and its allies no longer dominate. The West is increasingly challenged by strong economies in authoritarian countries such as Saudi Arabia and China.

The stronger their economies become, the more they want to have a say in world politics. For the majority of them, democracy and human rights are not the guiding principles. It will be very difficult for the West to reverse that trend.

One would think that the longer the war in Ukraine goes on, the more of a pariah Putin should become in the world. But in practice, it looks like, on the contrary, he succeeds in polishing off more and more of that stamp. The war is on. Many don't care.

What one can possibly hope for is that among the Brics leaders there are those who dare to raise Ukraine with Putin and pressure him to end the war.

If anyone can succeed in getting him to give up his imperialist project, it will probably be the friends rather than the enemies.