Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to host a major BRICS summit next week in Kazan, bringing together two dozen world leaders in what the Kremlin hopes will challenge Western dominance. The summit, featuring leaders from Brazil, China, India, and South Africa, as well as several other emerging economies, is being touted as Russia’s biggest diplomatic event since the Ukraine conflict began.

The event, taking place from October 22 to 24, will be attended by high-profile figures such as UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also expected to join. Putin aims to showcase that Western efforts to isolate Russia due to its ongoing conflict in Ukraine have not been successful.

Russia’s foreign policy now heavily leans on BRICS, and one of the main topics at the summit is Putin’s proposal for a BRICS-led financial payment system to counter SWIFT, from which Russian banks were excluded in 2022. The escalating conflict in the Middle East is also expected to be on the agenda.

The Kremlin sees the summit as a significant diplomatic win, intended to project Russia as a leading player in a multipolar world order and capable of rallying an alliance to counterbalance Western influence. While the United States has dismissed BRICS as a potential geopolitical rival, it has expressed concern over Russia’s growing diplomatic efforts amid the Ukraine war.

With Putin absent from previous high-level meetings due to the International Criminal Court’s warrant for his arrest, his hosting of this summit in Kazan aims to reinforce his narrative that Russia is not isolated. Moscow has strengthened alliances with China, Iran, and North Korea, positioning itself as a key player in a multipolar global system.

The BRICS bloc, established in 2009, has since expanded to include other emerging economies such as South Africa, Egypt, and Iran. Turkey, a NATO member, has also expressed interest in joining the group, highlighting its complex relationship with both Moscow and the West.

As Putin continues to push for a world order less dominated by Western powers, the Kazan summit will serve as a platform for Russia to build partnerships and bolster its influence globally, despite growing tensions in Ukraine.