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BRICS Summit 2026: Putin, Modi reaffirm partnership
BRICS declaration urges 'maximum restraint' in Middle East
Karl Sexton | Felix Tamsut | Midhat Fatimah with AP, AFP, Reuters and local mediaPublished 09/11/2026Published September 11, 2026last updated 09/13/2026last updated September 13, 2026The joint declaration at the BRICS 2026 summit expressed 'deep concern' over hostilities in the Middle East. China's President Xi Jinping said the Iran war was not in the bloc's interest.
https://p.dw.com/p/5MPqJWhat you need to know
This blog is now closed. Here is a roundup of some of the top headlines from the BRICS Summit 2026 in India on September 12 and 13, 2026:
- Indian PM Modi has announced the adoption of a joint declaration
- The BRICS coalition expressed concern over escalations in the Middle East
- Modi will meet China's Xi on the sidelines of BRICS today
- Putin and Modi discuss a wide range of issues, including the Ukraine-Russia conflict, energy cooperation and trade across several sectors
- Modi again urges Putin to end the war in Ukraine
- Modi calls for maritime trade to be protected during bilateral talks with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in New Delhi
- Pezeshkian warns Iran coming under 'critical, dangerous' US economic pressure
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Skip next section Thank you for following our coverage09/13/2026September 13, 2026Thank you for following our coverage
This blog is now closed.
Catch up on all that happened with our updates blow.
https://p.dw.com/p/5MXH3Skip next section What to know: Five key takeaways from the BRICS Summit in Delhi, from DW's Head of Geopolitics09/13/2026September 13, 2026What to know: Five key takeaways from the BRICS Summit in Delhi, from DW's Head of Geopolitics
Sandra PetersmannHere are five main takeaways from the 18th BRICS Summit in Delhi.
1. The New Delhi Declaration
The 45-page declaration has a paragraph on the Iran war. It expresses "deep concern" over the escalation in the Middle East and calls for “maximum restraint."
No country is named or blamed.
That’s BRICS diplomacy — and the only wording the diverse bloc could agree on. The war directly involves three BRICS members — Iran, the UAE and Saudi Arabia — which are on opposite sides of the conflict.
It took careful diplomacy and night shifts to get even this wording over the finishing line. Still, it is arguably better than nothing — especially with all three countries represented in the room, and China offering a mediating role for BRICS.
Whether anything tangible comes from it remains to be seen.
2. The notable absence of Ukraine
Ukraine is not mentioned once in the Delhi declaration.
That is different from the BRICS declaration in Rio last year, which at least referred to members' "national positions concerning the conflict in Ukraine."
But even then, Russia was not named, its invasion was not condemned and there was no call for Russian troops to withdraw.
For Putin, the total omission now is politically useful — especially since he was in Delhi, unlike in Rio.
3. Modi meets Xi
Xi Jinping has not visited India since 2019. Relations froze after a deadly clash along their disputed Himalayan border in 2020.
His meeting with Modi in Delhi marks another step in a cautious thaw between the two nuclear-armed Asian powers and perhaps also sends a signal to Washington.
Both Modi and Xi want a more multipolar world and less Western dominance of the global financial system. But they are coming at it from very different positions.
China is already the world’s second-largest economy, with a powerful and assertive military. Its focus is on countering Washington.
What is BRICS Pay?
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India, meanwhile, is pursuing multi-alignment and strategic autonomy building ties with Russia, the US and the EU for different reasons, without moving into China’s camp.
Mistrust remains, especially over the contested border and who gets to shape Asia. India’s huge trade deficit with China adds another layer.
4. The T-factor
Donald Trump was the elephant in the room. But neither he nor the United States is named in the Delhi declaration.
They are there nonetheless: BRICS leaders condemn unilateral sanctions and voice concern over unilateral tariffs.
So there are shared frustrations with the Western-dominated global order and Trump’s tactics.
But the wars in Iran and Ukraine also expose the limits of BRICS’ strategic cohesion.
5."Greater BRICS"
China was key to expanding BRICS from five to 11 members. Xi now wants to pull the larger BRICS family closer together — through cooperation on future technologies, industries and resilient supply chains.
The idea is to turn the expanded BRICS into a more integrated Global South network — technologically and, eventually, geopolitically.
India will now hand the BRICS chairmanship to China and will be watching closely.
Like China, India wants BRICS to give the Global South more voice. But it does not want BRICS to become a China-led anti-Western alliance. That is the tension at the heart of BRICS. A bigger BRICS does not necessarily mean a more cohesive BRICS.
https://p.dw.com/p/5MWuaSkip next section BRICS: How a four-nation group became a global bloc09/13/2026September 13, 2026BRICS: How a four-nation group became a global bloc
Interestingly, BRICS as we know it today did not start as a formal economic or geopolitical coalition; it rather started as an economic acronym coined by Goldman Sachs economist Jim O'Neill in 2001.
O'Neill, in his investment paper, grouped Brazil, Russia, India, and China based on their rapid growth potential.
He argued these economies would collectively dominate the global economy by 2050.
The identification of these economies triggered a massive influx of foreign capital investment into these specific countries, and soon the political leadership of these countries realized that the world viewed them as a unified economic bloc.
In 2006, the foreign ministers of Brazil, Russia, India and China met for the first time on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
How India has become Russia's trade lifeline
The formal diplomatic coalition was officially established at their first official summit in Yekaterinburg, Russia, in 2009.
BRIC became BRICS when South Africa joined the bloc in 2010.
The 2023 summit in Johannesburg marked a historic turn for the bloc when it extended formal invitations to six new nations.
Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates officially joined the bloc, however, Argentina's new government declined membership in late 2023.
In 2025, Indonesia became the latest country to join the bloc, making BRICS an eleven member-strong bloc which has increasingly positioned itself as the voice of the Global South.
Besides the 11 members, BRICS also has 10 partner countries.
https://p.dw.com/p/5MWu0Skip next section Modi warns against 'weaponization' of technology, critical minerals09/13/2026September 13, 2026Modi warns against 'weaponization' of technology, critical minerals
In his opening address on Day 2 of the BRICS Summit in Delhi, Modi warned the "weaponization of technology and critical minerals" could hinder global development and shared prosperity.
He said rising geopolitical tensions, supply chain disruptions and climate crises are increasingly affecting people worldwide and called for strengthened cooperation and support across the Global South.
Iran war tests BRICS unity
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https://p.dw.com/p/5MWsOSkip next section Xi pushes for 'Greater BRICS' economic cooperation09/13/2026September 13, 2026Xi pushes for 'Greater BRICS' economic cooperation
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday announced initiatives in areas ranging from AI to trade to deepen cooperation among the "Greater BRICS" emerging economies.
It comes as Beijing seeks to transform the bloc into a practical platform for Global South development.
The success of the "Greater BRICS Initiative" depends on laying a solid foundation for pragmatic cooperation, Xi told the leaders' annual summit in New Delhi, the official Xinhua news agency said.
'Greater BRICS' nations should improve cooperation, maintain the stability of industrial and supply chains, and cultivate an integrated market, Xi told the summit's closing session.
China and Russia describe the expanded bloc — which now has 11 countries as its members — as "Greater BRICS."
China will take the initiative of establishing a BRICS AI Open Source Zone to promote cooperation on large language models, AI training and an open AI ecosystem, Xi added.
https://p.dw.com/p/5MWWjSkip next section Russia says Modi, Xi offered to mediate Ukraine peace talks: State media09/13/2026September 13, 2026Russia says Modi, Xi offered to mediate Ukraine peace talks: State media
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had both offered their services for peace talks on Ukraine, state news agency TASS reported.
The agency added that Russian President Vladimir Putin had welcomed India and China's readiness.
The three leaders are among those attending the BRICS summit in Delhi.
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https://p.dw.com/p/5MWU8Skip next section Welcome back to our coverage09/13/2026September 13, 2026Welcome back to our coverage
We are resuming our coverage of the BRICS Summit 2026, taking place in New Delhi at the Bharat Mandapam.
The first day of the summit concluded with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announcing the adoption of a joint declaration by the BRICS bloc.
The 45-page declaration called for condemnation of terrorism, conflict prevention and peaceful resolution of disputes.
The bloc also called for reforms in the UN, including its Security Council "with a view to making it more democratic, representative, effective and efficient, and to increase the representation of developing countries in the Council's membership."
Iran and US ally United Arab Emirates also signed up to the joint statement that called for restraint in the Middle East war.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian met the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi on the sidelines of the first day of the New Delhi summit, in the countries' highest-level meeting since the start of the conflict.
Meanwhile, Modi held a bilateral meeting with China's Xi Jinping, who was visiting the country for the first time since India-China relations nosedived in 2020 after a deadly clash over border disputes in Ladakh's Galwan Valley.
Modi also held bilateral meetings with the leaders of Iran, Ethiopia and Abu Dhabi.
Stay tuned as we bring you more from the second and last day of the 18th BRICS Summit.
https://p.dw.com/p/5MWHUSkip next section Thank you for following our coverage09/12/2026September 12, 2026We are now pausing our coverage of the BRICS summit in New Delhi.
We will be back on Sunday, September 13, with more headlines.
https://p.dw.com/p/5MVqASkip next section Xi calls for promotion of 'financial cooperation' with India09/12/2026September 12, 2026Xi calls for promotion of 'financial cooperation' with India
Chinese President Xi Jinping called for Beijing to strengthen its financial cooperation with India during a visit to New Delhi for a BRICS summit.
"Both sides should… work hand-in-hand to promote high-quality major financial cooperation, advocate an equal and sustainable global order, and foster an economic globalization that is open and inclusive," Xi said.
Meanwhile, the Indian Foreign Ministry said that he and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi "underlined the need to address each other's concerns, including structural trade imbalance and supply chain issues, and facilitation of meaningful and predictable market access."
China is India's largest trading partner, with bilateral goods reaching $151 billion (€130 billion) in the financial year of 2025-26.
During this period, India imported $131 billion of goods from China, while India exported some $19 billion worth of goods to its neighbor.
https://p.dw.com/p/5MVZjSkip next section India, China to work towards resolving disputed border — New Delhi09/12/2026September 12, 2026India, China to work towards resolving disputed border — New Delhi
India and China have "expressed commitment" to normalizing their disputed border, India's Foreign Ministry said.
"The two leaders expressed commitment to a fair, reasonable, and mutually acceptable resolution of the boundary question," the ministry said as Chinese President Xi Jinping visits New Delhi for a BRICS summit.
The ministry added the Prime Minister Narendra Modi "underlined the need for both sides to observe existing agreements and understandings on border related issues."
"Differences should not become disputes," it said.
The statement said that Modi stressed that China and India both "must be guided by three mutuals — mutual respect, mutual sensitivity and mutual interest."
Both India and China maintain heavy military deployments along their 3,500 kilometer (2,175-mile) border along Kashmir and Tibet.
Chinese and Indian troops engaged in several skirmishes along the disputed border in 2020 and 2021.
https://p.dw.com/p/5MVXHSkip next section China 'willing to work with fellow BRICS members' towards achieving Middle East peace, says Xi09/12/2026September 12, 2026China 'willing to work with fellow BRICS members' towards achieving Middle East peace, says Xi
Speaking at the BRICS Summit in New Delhi, Chinese President Xi Jinping called for greater efforts to promote peace in the Middle East and the Gulf region.
"China is willing to work with fellow BRICS members to play due role in achieving peace and stability in the Middle East and the Gulf region," President Xi Jinping told the official Xinhua news agency in New Delhi.
"The war has caused serious losses to people across the region and does not serve the common interests of the international community," Xi added, according to Xinhua.
Xi also pointed out that power politics are on the rise, the international order is being challenged and there are growing shortcomings in terms of peace and security. The BRICS nations must stand "on the right side of history," he urged.
https://p.dw.com/p/5MVKQSkip next section What does the joint declaration say?09/12/2026September 12, 2026What does the joint declaration say?
On the first day of the BRICS Summit, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the adoption of a joint declaration.
The joint declaration adopted by the BRICS coalition calls for "maximum restraint" in the Middle East.
"We express deep concern over the continued escalation of tensions in Middle East/West Asia and, recalling our respective national positions, call for exercising maximum restraint, as well as avoiding actions that could further aggravate the situation," the statement read.
The member states have reiterated their commitment to peaceful resolution of international disputes through dialogue, consultation and diplomacy.
The declaration also advocates for a multilateral approach that respects diverse national viewpoints and positions on crucial global issues.
The declaration comes at a time when the US and Iran have resumed tit-for-tat strikes against each other, after a pause in fighting for much of August.
Since the bloc inlcuded Iran and US-ally UAE both, it was expected that reaching a concensus will be difficult.
Additionally, the bloc expressed concerns about the rise of "unilateral tariff and non-tariff measures" that distort trade, against the backdrop of US sanctions against Tehran amid its war with the country, and against Russia over its conflict with Ukraine.
The bloc stressed on the need to cooperate to maintain the smooth flow of global trade, supply chains and energy.
https://p.dw.com/p/5MVElSkip next section What does a joint declaration against war mean for the bloc's influence?09/12/2026September 12, 2026What does a joint declaration against war mean for the bloc's influence?
Sandra Petersmann"It’s all done," Indian prime minister Narendra Modi said. And what he meant was this: BRICS has an approved joint declaration for 2026. The leaders agreed on the text of the Delhi Declaration on day one of the summit after their plenary session.
It is important to keep in mind that, for the first six months of the Iran war, the grouping of Global South nations failed to issue a joint statement. The US-Israel-led attack on Iran has put enormous strain on the bloc.
The war directly involves three BRICS members: Iran, the UAE and Saudi Arabia. But not as allies. Iran has attacked the UAE and Saudi Arabia, seeing them as proxies for the US.
The war has been devastating for the Global South, which BRICS represents. Think oil and fertilizers — and food security.
The compromise now found in Delhi appears to be a joint declaration condemning unilateral wars, without naming any country.
That is rather low-key — but perhaps better than nothing, especially for BRICS chair India, which can claim this as a diplomatic victory. As former UN diplomat and prominent Indian foreign policy voice Shashi Tharoor had told me before the summit:
"There is very little doubt that all the BRICS members have not necessarily upheld the UN Charter, the inviolability of borders, the sovereignty of member states of the UN, and the inadmissibility of the use of force to settle international disputes."
The BRICS countries now number 11 and represent about half of the world’s population. And when economies are measured by what people can actually buy, they account for around 40 percent of global economic output.
So BRICS leaders feel they have a strong case for criticizing western political hegemony and the dominance of the US dollar. They argue that global institutions such as the UN, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank no longer reflect the rising power of emerging economies and the Global South.
In his opening address, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that reform of the UN Security Council cannot wait any longer.
https://p.dw.com/p/5MV7OSkip next section Xi says US-Iran war doesn't serve "common interests": Xinhua09/12/2026September 12, 2026Xi says US-Iran war doesn't serve "common interests": Xinhua
Speaking during the BRICS Summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping said that the Middle East war, sparked by US-Israeli strikes on Iran in late February, does not serve the world's interests, Beijing's state media reported.
"As the situation in the Middle East and the Gulf region continues to evolve, the war there has caused serious losses to people across the region," state news agency Xinhua quoted Xi as saying in New Delhi, which is hosting the 18th BRICS summit attended by leaders including Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
It "does not serve the common interests of the international community", Xi said, according to Xinhua.
India's difficult BRICS chairship
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https://p.dw.com/p/5MVCNSkip next section BRICS reaches consensus, Modi announces joint declaration 09/12/2026September 12, 2026BRICS reaches consensus, Modi announces joint declaration
In his closing remarks for the first session at the BRICS Summit, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the BRICS group of nations unanimously adopted a joint declaration on Saturday, the first day of their annual summit in New Delhi.
Reuters news agency, citing four anonymous sources, had earlier in the day reported that members of the BRICS coalition have agreed on a joint declaration which does not name any country but will condemn unilateral war by any country.
The members include Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates.
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