BRICS Leaders Meet in New Delhi as Wars and Internal Rifts Dominate Agenda

BRICS leaders including Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping and Masoud Pezeshkian gathered in New Delhi for a summit held against a backdrop of ongoing wars and divisions within the group, AGI reports. The meeting took place on Saturday, 12 September 2026.

According to RaiNews, the assembled members expressed concern over tariffs and unilateral measures, while Xi said China was ready to work with BRICS partners toward peace in the Gulf. ANSA reported that the summit produced a message directed at Donald Trump calling for de-escalation in the Middle East. Il Fatto Quotidiano described the outcome as an agreement against tariffs and unilateral wars.

The talks also unfolded amid signs of a thaw between China and India. HuffPost Italia reported that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi worked to hold together a bloc divided over the war in the Middle East, and characterised the summit as a testing ground for improved Sino-Indian relations.

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Coverage of the summit varied in emphasis. AGI framed the gathering around both external conflicts and internal disagreements among members, while other outlets focused on the joint positions on trade measures and the Middle East. The leaders' statements, as reported, centred on opposition to unilateral economic steps and on diplomatic efforts regarding the Gulf.

What to watch next: whether the stated positions on tariffs and Middle East de-escalation translate into coordinated action, and whether the apparent China-India rapprochement holds beyond the summit.