Leaders call for peace in Middle East, Ukraine at BRICS summit

World leaders at the BRICS summit in Russia on Wednesday called for peace in the Middle East and Ukraine, supporting ‘dialogue and diplomacy, not war’.

The meeting of around 20 world leaders in the central city of Kazan is the largest diplomatic forum in Russia since the Ukraine attack in 2022.

UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, said: “I was pleased to participate in the BRICS Summit today [Wednesday] in Kazan, Russia. The UAE supports multilateral cooperation that fosters peace and development while strengthening collective action to address global challenges. Through its membership in BRICS, the UAE works resolutely with member states to achieve a more stable and prosperous future for all.”

Leaders of the BRICS group called for Israel to stop targeting UN staff after incidents of Israeli troops firing on UN peacekeepers stationed in Lebanon.

“We strongly condemn the attacks on UN staff and threats to their security and call on Israel to immediately cease such actions,” the group said in a joint statement.

The leaders also stressed that the “territorial integrity” of Lebanon be “preserved.”

Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian urged BRICS members to “use all their collective and individual capacities to end the war in Gaza and Lebanon”.

Chinese President Xi Jinping repeated his call for a ceasefire, saying: “We need to... stop the killing and work tirelessly for a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement of the Palestinian issue.”

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva also called for escalation in both the Middle East and Ukraine to be avoided.

“As we face two wars that have the potential to become global, it is essential to restore our ability to work together toward common goals,” he said in an address to the summit via video conference.

Ukraine talks

President Xi Jinping told the summit there must be “no escalation of fighting” in Ukraine.

“We must adhere to the three principles of ‘no spillover from the battlefield, no escalation of fighting and no adding oil to the fire by relevant parties’, so as to ease the situation as soon as possible,” Xi said.

Without referring to any specific conflict, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also issued a call for peace.

“We support dialogue and diplomacy, not war,” he said.

Starting in 2009 with four members - Brazil, Russia, India and China - BRICS has since expanded to include other nations such as South Africa, the UAE Egypt and Iran.

Mediation offers

In private talks, President Vladimir Putin welcomed offers by several of the BRICS leaders to mediate in Ukraine, even as he told them his forces were advancing, his spokesman said Wednesday.

Many countries “expressed a desire to contribute more actively” to resolving the conflict, state media cited Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as telling reporters.

“Avoiding escalation and initiating peace negotiations is also crucial in the conflict between Ukraine and Russia,” Brazil’s Lula said.

India-China talks

The summit also gave the opportunity for leaders to promote bilateral relations.

India and China Wednesday agreed to work towards improving bilateral ties, signalling a potential thaw between the neighbours.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met on the sidelines of the BRICS gathering, their first formal meeting in five years.

Xi told Modi that China and India should strengthen cooperation, Chinese state media reported Wednesday.

“It is in the fundamental interests of the two countries and peoples that China and India correctly grasp the trend of history and the direction of development of bilateral relations,” state broadcaster CCTV quoted Xi as saying.

“The two sides should strengthen communication and cooperation, properly handle divergences and differences, and realise each other’s development dreams,” it added.

Xi told Modi that the two countries should “shoulder international responsibilities, set an example for developing countries to seek strength through unity, and contribute to a multi-polar world and democratisation of international relations”, CCTV said.

Modi said “mutual trust” will guide ties with China, welcoming the “consensus” over the border contestations.

“India-China relations are important for the people of our countries, and for regional and global peace and stability,” Modi said on X. “Mutual trust, mutual respect and mutual sensitivity will guide bilateral relations.”

Guterres at summit

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres was also at the summit, his first visit to Russia for more than two years. On Thursday, he will hold talks with Putin over Ukraine.

“The process of forming a multipolar world order is underway, a dynamic and irreversible process,” Putin said at the official opening of the summit.

“Significant crisis potential also remains. And it is not only about the ever-increasing geopolitical tensions, but also ... the practice of unilateral sanctions, protectionism and unfair competition is expanding,” Putin said.

Putin also called on the leaders of emerging economies to explore alternative payments and trading platforms to reduce their reliance on Western infrastructure.