The 2025 BRICS Summit: Key Leaders from China and Russia Will Not Attend, Potentially Benefiting India Diplomatically. PM Modi Expected to Gain a Prominent Platform.
BRICS Summit 2025: This year's BRICS summit is being held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. However, this summit has become particularly noteworthy for several reasons. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin will not be attending the meeting. Their absence has opened new diplomatic opportunities for countries like India and Brazil.
Xi Jinping Will Not Attend
Chinese President Xi Jinping, who has consistently participated in BRICS summits for the past 12 years, will be absent this time. Chinese Premier Li Qiang will attend in his place. China has cited "other commitments" as the reason for his absence. Analysts believe that China is currently focusing more on its domestic economic challenges and policy-making.
Absence Amidst Growing Importance of BRICS
The BRICS group became a 10-member group in 2024. In addition to Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, Egypt, UAE, Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Iran have also joined. This group is working towards shifting the global power balance away from the influence of Western countries. However, the growing trade tensions between the United States and China have made BRICS even more strategically important. In this context, Xi Jinping's absence is considered a significant signal.
Putin Will Also Not Be Present
Russian President Vladimir Putin will also not be attending the summit in person. He will only participate via video conferencing. There are legal reasons behind this. Brazil is a member of the International Criminal Court (ICC), and Putin is accused of war crimes in Ukraine. If he were to visit Brazil, he could be arrested under an ICC warrant. For this reason, he has decided to participate in this meeting virtually.
India Could Gain a Prominent Platform
The absence of Xi Jinping and Putin has made this summit even more important for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He will participate in the summit in person and will also hold bilateral meetings with Brazilian President Lula da Silva. Brazil has also organized a state visit in Brasilia for PM Modi on July 8-9. This could be a major opportunity for India to increase its influence.
Freedom from Dependence on the Dollar
BRICS countries have long been trying to reduce dependence on the dollar in trade and promote transactions in the national currencies of member countries. This strategy becomes even more necessary for sanctioned countries like Russia and Iran. However, there does not seem to be any agreement on a shared BRICS currency at this summit, as the United States has already threatened to impose tariffs on any such attempts.
The Expansion of BRICS and its Challenges
BRICS has often been considered an alternative to the G7. After its expansion in 2023, it now includes countries with both democratic and authoritarian regimes. This raises questions about the group's unity and purpose. The policies of countries like Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE do not align with those of democratic countries like Brazil and South Africa. China also does not support India's demand for permanent membership in the United Nations Security Council. This clearly shows contradictions within BRICS.
