Delhi’s BRICS summit, drawing 11 member nations plus invited Saudi Arabia, turns a spotlight onto the lingering influence of U.S. President Donald Trump—despite the U.S. not being a BRICS member.
While the group is racing to address trade, security and finance issues, few expect a joint statement that openly criticises Washington’s policies. Trump’s 2024 tariff threats, even for a hypothetical “alternative global currency” to the dollar, loom large over the agenda.
India, in the final stages of a trade pact with the United States, cautiously wishes to avoid a public rebuke that could chill U.S. business ties—an issue underscored by France’s 2026 G7 meeting where Trump shook hands with Modi.
Russia and Iran, meanwhile, want a clearer stance on the Ukraine and Iran wars. China, wary of appearing to target the U.S., aims for a subtle criticism, while the UAE—home to U.S. bases—closes to supporting a pro‑Iran commentary.
According to the Atlantic Council’s Michael Kugelman, the group’s expansion now touches 49 % of the world’s population and 40 % of its GDP, yet consensus remains difficult because the pooled members have clashing priorities.
The New Development Bank remains BRICS’s biggest tangible achievement, issuing billions in infrastructure loans to developing economies, and a $100 bn contingency fund sits ready for future crises.
India’s chief aim is to assert its “voice of the Global South.” Yet it must find a way to navigate China’s deeper influence and Russia’s push for reforms to the UN, IMF and World Bank.
Bilateral talks—particularly Xi and Modi’s meeting, and Modi’s upcoming meeting with Putin—will also screen how the summit balances foreign policy and trade ambitions. The conversation on the war in Ukraine and the economic fallout from the Iran conflict are expected to dominate the agenda.
If Delhi manages a consensus declaration, it will be a diplomatic triumph and a clear sign of India’s growing global clout—especially once more a leviathan like the U.S. is taken into account at a time of shifting power dynamics.
Washington will watch every step closely, mindful that a perceived misstep could tilt BRICS cooperation and expose the U.S. to renewed economic pressure.
