BRICS: A bridge or a barrier?
Researcher Kester Kenn Klomegah recently published an analysis on whether the BRICS group of emerging economies could mediate a peace process between Russia and Ukraine.
According to him, the meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv highlighted India's efforts and anticipated role in the reconciliation process between Russia and Ukraine. Modi's official visit on August 23rd was the first visit by an Indian head of government to Kyiv since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1992. While the importance of this visit cannot be underestimated, it also raises some controversial questions.
Some experts interpret this official visit, while friendly and symbolic, as also a joint effort to strengthen India's economic diplomacy by achieving a series of business deals following joint discussions and negotiations on a peace settlement. Modi and Zelensky agreed on the often-proposed “peace summit”—several such high-level meetings have been held since Russia’s attack on Ukraine.
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| The Russia-Ukraine conflict poses a difficult dilemma for BRICS, as its members all have their own interests and must weigh the balance between maintaining neutrality and other considerations. (Photo: RIA) |
For several reasons from the outset, India's proposal to host a second peace summit clearly demonstrated the importance it placed on the content of its bilateral relationship with Russia. India and Russia have friendly relations dating back to the Soviet era and are more recently described as "friendly," with significant economic benefits as evidenced by bilateral trade figures in ministerial documents.
Prime Minister Modi and President Putin have a long-standing relationship. In fiscal year 2024, bilateral trade between India and Russia reached $65.6 billion, a 33% increase compared to the same period in 2023 and nearly 6.5 times the pre-pandemic level of $10.1 billion. Bilateral trade has increased particularly since 2022 as Indian fuel importers purchased cheap Russian crude oil despite repeated criticism from Western nations.
For Ukraine, Modi's support is seen as a factor that could boost efforts toward peace negotiations. At the same time, the Indian leader is using this opportunity to strengthen his country's economic cooperation with Ukraine, and possibly with the region in general. According to the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, at the meeting, Prime Minister Modi and President Zelensky discussed in detail Ukraine's peace formula, which prioritizes territorial integrity and the withdrawal of Russian troops.
Accordingly, Prime Minister Modi emphasized: “ India stands on the side of peace. Personally, as a friend, if there is any role I can take on, I am very willing to take on a role toward peace .”
The two leaders spent 2.5 hours in closed-door discussions before signing cooperation agreements in the fields of agriculture, medicine, and culture. A joint statement said the two countries agreed on the importance of closer dialogue to “ensure a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace.”
Since the start of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in February 2022, China and India (both BRICS) have consistently avoided condemning the Russian attack, instead urging Moscow and Kyiv to resolve the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy. Analysts have previously argued that Modi's neutral stance mirrors that of Brazil, China, and South Africa.
A Ukrainian analyst said the results of Modi's first visit were modest, as it was only "the beginning of a complex dialogue between India, Ukraine and Europe." If India supports Ukraine's approach to a peaceful solution, this could enhance Kyiv's chances of gaining further support from other countries in the Southern Hemisphere, where India remains a major competitor for influence with China.
Information indicating ongoing negotiations with Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Türkiye, and Switzerland regarding a second peace summit has been shared on social media. Besides India and South Africa as BRICS members, China also has historically warm relations with Russia.
South Africa attempted a peaceful solution, followed by China. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov downplayed South Africa (the BRICS chair in 2023), stating that the African peace initiative, comprising 10 elements, was not well-structured on paper. Similarly, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “ The peace initiative proposed by African countries is difficult to implement, difficult to exchange views .”
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As early as May, Chinese President Xi Jinping made it clear that “the Chinese side supports holding an international conference that reflects the interests of both Russia and Ukraine equally and is based on a variety of ideas and initiatives.” Discussions here need to be carefully considered in the context of China’s Global Security Initiative (GSI), which could play a significant role in resolving the Russia-Ukraine crisis and potentially other crises around the world.
First and foremost, China views cooperation as a key component of its foreign policy. According to China's concept, its Global Security Initiative (GSI) primarily aims to eliminate the root causes of international conflicts, improve global security governance, encourage joint international efforts to bring greater stability and certainty to an era of instability and change, and promote lasting peace and development in the world.
This concept is guided by six commitments/pillars, namely: (1) Pursuing common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security; (2) Respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states; (3) Adhering to the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter; (4) Respecting the legitimate security concerns of all states; (5) Resolving peacefully differences and disputes between states through dialogue and consultation; (6) Maintaining security in both traditional and non-traditional spheres.
Based on these core principles, it can be confidently said that GSI can and perhaps will become a catalyst for the world to chart a new path toward building peace, stability, and sustainable development. GSI was first proposed by President Xi Jinping at the annual meeting of the Boao Forum for Asia on April 21, 2022.
In late August, China reiterated its call for greater support for the Ukraine peace plan it and Brazil have put forward. Both, as BRICS members, support a comprehensive peace plan for Ukraine, following diplomatic consultations with Indonesia and South Africa to endorse the proposed plan. It is important to recall that China and Russia were absent from the first peace summit held in Geneva, Switzerland, in June. Russia was not invited, while China chose not to attend.
Nevertheless, China's Special Envoy for Eurasian Affairs, Li Hui, emphasized the importance of dialogue in resolving conflicts, adding that "global forces play a crucial role in promoting world peace," sharing a similar stance on diplomacy and dialogue with China.
“ These forces have maintained contact with both Russia and Ukraine and remain committed to a political solution to the crisis through dialogue and negotiation ,” said Li Hui.
Against the backdrop of ongoing geopolitical developments, in a statement issued on August 23, 2023, in Sandton, South Africa, BRICS stressed the fact that the group is ready “when sovereign states cooperate to maintain peace and security” and strongly opposes actions “incompatible with democratic principles and the multilateral system” in the modern world.
The statement also reaffirmed the group’s common position “on strengthening cooperation on issues of common interest within BRICS” and stated that China, India, and South Africa, through their previous efforts, have not been able to find common ground to establish a relative, even more sustainable, peace between Russia and Ukraine.
The entire story of resolving the Ukraine issue has now reached a critical point, where even BRICS cannot find a promising solution acceptable within the BRICS framework. In any case, the Russia-Ukraine crisis continues to threaten global security and affect the world economy as a whole.
No quotations are needed to support the arguments here, but it is necessary to recall the Joint Statement of the BRICS Foreign Ministers and International Relations Meeting on June 1, 2023, and the 13th Meeting of BRICS National Security Advisors and High Representatives on National Security held on July 25, 2023, which clearly stated (Point 12 in the 94-point Statement): “ We are concerned about the ongoing conflicts in many parts of the world. We emphasize our commitment to the peaceful resolution of differences and disputes through comprehensive dialogue and consultation in a coordinated and cooperative manner and support all efforts that are conducive to the peaceful resolution of crises .”
Source: https://congthuong.vn/ukraine-va-brics-lieu-co-the-cung-chung-tieng-noi-348917.html
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