BRICS summit in Rio without Xi and Putin

Not present at the BRICS summit in Rio: Xi and Putin ©APA/AFP/POOL

The BRICS group will convene Sunday in the Brazilian metropolis of Rio de Janeiro for a two-day summit. Under Brazil's chairmanship, the group of important emerging and developing countries will address health policy, artificial intelligence (AI), and climate change. For the first time, Chinese President Xi Jinping will not attend in person, sending Premier Li Qiang instead. Russian President Vladimir Putin will also not attend.

An arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court has been issued against the Kremlin chief for the war of aggression against Ukraine, which Brazil, as a signatory to the Rome Statute, would have to execute. BRICS stands for Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates joined in early 2024, and Indonesia joined in 2025.

The BRICS states, according to their own statements, represent approximately 48.5 percent of the world's population, 36 percent of the global land area, and 24 percent of global economic output. The states see themselves as a forum for cooperation among countries of the Global South. The group sees itself as a counterweight to the G7 alliance of leading Western economic powers.

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