The United States maintains no formal membership in Brics, yet the policies and rhetoric of President Donald Trump will cast a substantial shadow over the bloc's gathering in India this weekend. Leaders representing 11 member nations—including the host country India, alongside China, Russia, Brazil, South Africa, the UAE and Iran, with Saudi Arabia participating as an invited guest—will convene for wide-ranging discussions. However, the reverberations of Trump administration decisions on global markets and geopolitics are poised to dominate much of the agenda.
Tensions surrounding the conflict in Iran and persistent uncertainty about potential tariffs from the White House, targeting both adversaries and traditional allies alike, have created turbulence across international energy markets and left policymakers worldwide uncertain about economic trajectories. It is within this volatile environment that Brics delegates are assembling. Yet observers anticipate that the group will struggle to produce a unified statement that directly criticises Washington or articulates a coordinated response to Trump's international policies.
This reluctance stems partly from fundamental disagreements within Brics itself regarding the appropriate degree of confrontation with the United States.
India cannot afford to have a joint statement that rails against Washington,according to Michael Kugelman, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council. He anticipates that any disapproval of American policies will remain
vague and indirect,reflecting the sharply divergent interests across the expanded membership.
While Moscow and Tehran may advocate for a more forceful stance against the Trump administration, the internal dynamics of Brics make such a position difficult to sustain. New Delhi, which is in advanced negotiations toward a bilateral trade agreement with Washington, will resist language that might provoke White House displeasure. Beijing similarly faces pressure to avoid appearing to weaponise Brics against American interests.
The situation grows more complicated with the presence of the UAE, which has endured Iranian military strikes during Tehran's response to American and Israeli operations. As a host to US military installations, Abu Dhabi is unlikely to endorse statements that advance Iranian objectives. Kugelman observes that while Brics has gained significance through its expansion, this same growth has complicated the pursuit of consensus.
You've added a number of members that don't get along,he noted, describing India's diplomatic challenge as one of reconciling nations with
a wide array of views and positions on the global order.
Trump has been notably vocal in his opposition to Brics, particularly targeting the bloc's initiatives to reduce global commerce's reliance on the American dollar—a process known as de-dollarisation. The president has repeatedly cautioned the group against developing alternative currencies or implementing measures to diminish the dollar's role in international transactions. In November 2024, Trump declared that Brics nations would face
100% tariffsshould they pursue another currency to supplant the
mighty US dollar.
What tangible outcomes can Brics realistically achieve?
Despite these external pressures, Brics has accumulated considerable geopolitical and economic influence over the past decade. Although reluctant to adopt overtly anti-American or anti-Western positions, the bloc intends to build upon its established accomplishments and position itself as a consequential alternative to forums such as the G20 and G7. According to analysis by a major international broadcaster, Brics now represents 49 percent of global population, 40 percent of worldwide GDP, and 26 percent of international trade.
The New Development Bank stands as the group's most concrete achievement to date, having distributed billions of dollars across infrastructure and development initiatives, predominantly benefiting nations in the Global South. Additionally, Brics has established a $100 billion contingency reserve mechanism designed to assist members navigating financial emergencies, though this arrangement has not yet faced a significant test.
During the summit, delegates are anticipated to examine mechanisms for facilitating cross-border payments denominated in local currencies—a matter of particular significance for Moscow and Tehran, both operating under stringent American sanctions. The bloc is also expected to reinforce its positioning as an advocate for developing nations, collectively pressing for structural reforms within institutions including the United Nations, International Monetary Fund, and World Bank, which many developing economies contend do not adequately represent contemporary global realities.
What does India hope to accomplish as host?
For New Delhi, this summit represents a platform to strengthen its assertion of leadership within the Global South. Many of India's foreign policy objectives—encompassing multilateralism, a multipolar international system, enhanced representation for developing economies, and unrestricted global commerce—align substantially with Brics' broader mission. Nevertheless, India must navigate around China's considerable sway within the organisation and its more extensive influence across much of the developing world.
The Modi administration has prioritised establishing itself as a
leader or a voice of the Global South,according to Kugelman, though these efforts have achieved
limited successin penetrating African and Latin American markets where Chinese engagement has proven more effective. The expanded Brics composition, drawing predominantly from developing economies, furnishes India with an avenue to deepen relationships with nations such as Ethiopia, Brazil, and Indonesia while cultivating a more prominent presence across Africa and Latin America.
According to India's Ministry of External Affairs, the 18th Brics Summit is scheduled for 12–13 September 2026 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, with the overarching theme of
Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.The summit agenda encompasses economic cooperation, technological advancement, energy and food security, global governance frameworks, and significant geopolitical matters.
For New Delhi, securing a consensus statement—conventionally regarded as a benchmark of diplomatic achievement for the host nation—will prove challenging given substantial disagreements over the Iran conflict, US relations, and the trajectory of international commerce. The magnitude of this challenge became apparent in May 2026, when Brics foreign ministers convened in New Delhi but failed to produce a joint declaration due to divergences regarding the Iran war, prompting India to issue a chair's summary instead. India will draw encouragement from its experience chairing the G20 in 2023, when it managed to secure a joint declaration despite profound divisions over Russia's military campaign in Ukraine.
Delhi will simultaneously seek substantive announcements and opportunities to underscore Brics' existing achievements. On this dimension, member states are likely to find common ground: none wishes the organisation to be dismissed as merely a
talk shop.Leaders are anticipated to investigate avenues for strengthening financial cooperation and may unveil significant initiatives. They will also address major geopolitical developments, with any references to the United States expected to be meticulously worded to prevent direct confrontation.
According to reporting from India's Times of India, Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to attend the summit, as is Chinese President Xi Jinping. Around 160 artists from India and other Brics countries are set to perform at Prime Minister Modi's gala dinner, underscoring the cultural dimensions of the gathering.
What bilateral meetings will take place?
The summit will furnish the occasion for several consequential bilateral engagements. The Saturday meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attract considerable international scrutiny. The two nations have been gradually restoring diplomatic and economic ties, though advancement has proceeded more cautiously than either government might have preferred.
Modi is also scheduled to meet President Putin, with the Ukraine conflict anticipated to feature prominently in their discussions. During a recent encounter with Putin at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek last month, Modi made a conspicuous appeal for peace. While some observers interpreted his remarks as criticism of Moscow, Russian officials did not perceive them negatively and publicly acknowledged Modi's peacemaking endeavours.
Beyond geopolitical considerations, India's expanding trade deficit with both Russia and China is expected to surface in bilateral conversations. According to reporting from NDTV, Putin's bilateral discussions with Modi are anticipated to contribute to initiatives aimed at elevating India-Russia trade toward the $100 billion threshold.
What preparations are underway in Delhi?
The capital has undergone extensive transformation in preparation for the gathering. According to reporting on summit logistics, security rehearsals, traffic management planning, and beautification initiatives are underway across Delhi. Central government offices in New Delhi were closed on Friday, 11 September 2026, to facilitate summit arrangements. Thousands of security personnel have been deployed as world leaders commence their arrival.
What are the stakes for India?
Ultimately, the bloc's capacity to conclude a successful summit will amplify Brics' international standing. For India as host nation, achievement would constitute a significant diplomatic and geopolitical accomplishment at a moment when New Delhi is endeavouring to reassert its global influence. Kugelman emphasises that the stakes are particularly elevated for India at this gathering. He contends that New Delhi has been somewhat overshadowed by Pakistan's recent diplomatic activities in the Middle East, including involvement in mediation surrounding the Iran conflict.
This is an important opportunity for India to reassert its global significance and its global leadership,he stated.
That is one reason why the stakes are high.The summit, he concludes, is in certain respects
more important for India as host than it is for the Brics grouping as a whole.
