The Brics group countries say ‘no’ to wars. Waiting for the Putin-Guterres meeting

The leaders of the BRICS group, including China, India and Brazil, today said no to war in Ukraine and the Middle East during a summit chaired by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who responded by claiming recent Russian successes on the front. “The Ukrainian crisis is dragging on,” he contested Chinese President Xi Jinping during his speech at the group’s plenary session, part of which took place behind closed doors. “We support dialogue and diplomacy, not war,” he said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Kremlin, which has always indicated the three main BRICS powers as possible mediators in the Ukrainian crisis, managed to block criticism by reducing allusions to the Ukrainian conflict to a minimum in the final statement, but Putin will have to address the issue again tomorrow when a meeting with the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres. “It is necessary to contribute to a rapid reduction of tension in Ukraine,” Xi said, and to do so, it is necessary to “stop adding fuel to the fire.” Furthermore, he said that “side effects due to the expansion of hostilities” must be prevented, as well as actions that contribute to increasing tensions.

Along the same lines, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva defended in a videoconference the need to “start peace negotiations” between Russians and Ukrainians. “Avoiding escalation and starting peace negotiations is also crucial in the conflict between Ukraine and Russia”, said the leader of Brazil, who together with China presented a six-point resolution plan already rejected by Kiev. In this regard, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov he said that many countries expressed to Kazan their desire to contribute “more actively” to the resolution of the conflict. “We appreciate these efforts,” he said.

Meanwhile, Putin informed the BRICS of the “very, very positive dynamics” for the Russian army on the battlefield, alluding to the conquest of several Ukrainian strongholds in Donbass. “Of course (Putin) emphasized the reluctance of the Ukrainian side to start any negotiations,” Peskov said. The Russian leader has repeatedly assured that he will not sit at the negotiating table with Kiev until Russia has expelled Ukrainian troops from the Kursk region.

In the final communiqué of the summit, divided into 134 sections, Russia managed to mention the word “Ukraine” only once. “We emphasize that all countries must act in accordance with the objectives and principles of the United Nations Charter (…) We are pleased to note the corresponding proposals for mediation and good officials aimed at providing a peaceful solution to the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy”, underlines the aseptic point 36. As for the Middle East, also on this Xi, Lula and the Iranian president, Masud Pezeshkiantook advantage of the BRICS platform to denounce the dramatic situation. Pezeshkian, whose country is directly involved and has been attacked by Israel, called for “an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Palestine and Lebanon.” Furthermore, he called for “the complete withdrawal of the occupying regime’s (Israel) troops from the occupied areas and immediate aid to the population of Gaza and the displaced people in Lebanon.” Iran is one of the main allies of the Palestinian group Hamas – one of whose leaders held consultations in Moscow today – and the Lebanese militias Hezbollah. For his part, Xi urged “to achieve the cessation of hostilities and killings in Gaza and Lebanon as soon as possible.”

“The humanitarian situation in the Gaza sector continues to worsen, the conflict has resumed (…), in Lebanon, where everything is worsening. We must reach a ceasefire as soon as possible, stop the killings”, he said. And he called for a “fair and solid” solution to the Palestinian problem.

“At a time when we are facing two wars that could become global, it is essential to save our ability to work together towards common goals,” Lula added. Il leader turco, Recep Tayyip Erdoganwas the last to arrive in the Tatar capital. Putin received him in the afternoon and promised to update him on the situation in Ukraine. At the beginning of the meeting, Putin expressed his condemnation to his counterpart for the terrorist attack perpetrated against an arms factory in Ankara, which, according to Erdogan, caused five deaths and 22 injuries. Putin also met Venezuelan President Nicolas Madurowho made a surprise trip to Kazan. “We see with admiration the battle that great Russia is fighting against Nazism and fascism,” Maduro said on his first visit abroad since the July crisis.