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Key Developments
- Putin-Erdogan Meeting: Russian President (or his double) pressed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for support in international payment systems, but Erdoğan deftly avoided any firm commitments, signaling Turkey’s ongoing evaluation of the issue.
- Limited Support for Russia: Major BRICS leaders—Xi Jinping, Narendra Modi, and Erdoğan—show little appetite for risking relations with the West by aiding Russia in evading sanctions. Only Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro and Iran’s Masoud Pezeshkian expressed potential willingness to assist, though with limited capacity to act.
- Internal Russian Moves: A coinciding attempt to block Telegram in Russia, authorized by Nikolai Patrushev, was reportedly successful, likely aimed at impressing visiting delegations by demonstrating control over internal communications.
- China’s Position: Xi Jinping emphasized the “unprecedented tests” in Sino-Russian relations over the past decade, likely alluding to the shared pressures of the COVID-19 pandemic, a message acknowledged by Moscow.
BRICS Summit Analysis
The BRICS summit has so far provided little diplomatic or economic relief for Russia, as the country’s efforts to rally support against Western sanctions have largely been met with reluctance. Key leaders remain cautious, reflecting a delicate balancing act to avoid antagonizing Western powers.
