Putin Arrives in Delhi for BRICS Summit Amid Ukraine, Iran War Tensions

Russian President Vladimir Putin landed at Palam Air Base in Delhi to attend the two-day BRICS summit, which now comprises 11 member states. His arrival was met by Indian Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh, according to video footage released by Russia’s RIA Novosti news agency.

The summit is expected to be dominated by discussions on the wars in Ukraine and Iran, alongside broader economic challenges facing the bloc. Putin is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Chinese President Xi Jinping is also set to attend, marking his first visit to India since 2019.

Xi’s Visit and Sino-Indian Relations

Xi’s participation carries particular significance: it represents the largest diplomatic step so far in a cautious thaw between the two Asian nuclear powers following a deadly military clash along their disputed Himalayan border six years ago. While high-level contacts, air travel, and visa issuance have gradually resumed, mutual distrust persists amid ongoing border disputes, widening trade deficits, and strategic competition.

Security and Domestic Preparations in Delhi

In Delhi, images of Prime Minister Narendra Modi were widely displayed across central city streets. Authorities imposed extensive traffic restrictions and deployed heavy security in key areas. Delhi Police urged residents to exercise patience and cooperation during the summit period.

BRICS Expansion and Internal Divisions

Founded in 2009 as a forum for major emerging economies seeking greater influence in Western-dominated institutions, BRICS has since expanded to include Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. Yet this expansion—once hailed as a major achievement—now threatens to complicate consensus-building, particularly over divergent positions among members regarding the U.S.- and Israeli-led military campaign in Iran launched in February.

Iran Conflict as a Litmus Test

Harsh V. Pant of India’s Observer Research Foundation stated that the Gulf conflict will be the central point of contention at the summit. He added that BRICS expansion, considered an accomplishment as recently as last year, now appears to be a major obstacle to cohesion within the grouping. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian’s trip marks his first visit to India since assuming office, further elevating Middle East tensions on the summit’s agenda.

Shilan Shah of Capital Economics noted that the war in Iran will serve as a severe test of the expanded bloc’s unity, citing the failure of BRICS foreign ministers to issue a joint statement during their May meeting in Delhi.

India’s Balancing Act

India maintains friendly relations with both Iran and Israel while carefully calibrating its ties with Washington. It has partially mitigated energy supply disruptions caused by the Iran war by increasing reliance on Russia—one of its most important strategic partners and, in recent years, one of the most controversial fuel suppliers globally due to Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine.

Putin last visited India in December 2025. He and Modi also met earlier this month in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan. Separately, Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar traveled to Kyiv this month, where Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed gratitude to India for what he described as its commitment to ending “this unjust war.”

Facing simultaneous pressures from the Iran war and the protracted conflict in Ukraine, the BRICS summit confronts a new test of its members’ ability to manage internal disagreements and sustain cohesion within an increasingly large and politically diverse alliance.