'Global South' interested in joining BRICS - as it's 'tone deaf' to anti-Russia rhetoric

For Vladimir Putin, the optics could not beryllium better.

More than 2 and a fractional years into his warfare successful Ukraine, helium is shaking hands this week with not conscionable 1 satellite leader, oregon two, but much than 20.

China's Xi Jinping, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the caller Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian…there's adjacent Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the person of a NATO member authorities and EU campaigner country.

They person each travel to the Russian metropolis of Kazan for the BRICS acme of emerging economies.

As you mightiness expect, the Russian president was positively beaming arsenic helium sat down with assorted heads of authorities for a drawstring of one-on-one meetings.

The connection from the Kremlin is large and wide - the West's efforts to isolate Russia person not worked. Instead of losing friends, Moscow has made them.

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"It shows thing astir the weakness of the sanctions regime," Mark Galeotti, main manager of Mayak Intelligence, told Sky News.

"There was a batch of exaggerated consciousness arsenic to however the West could enactment a stranglehold connected Russia, and galore countries are, frankly, not consenting to play those games.

"It highlights the grade to which successful this incredibly complex, multi-connected, modern world, it's precise hard to really isolate immoderate country, particularly 1 arsenic ample and arsenic engaged successful planetary commerce arsenic Russia."

The archetypal BRIC acme was successful 2009, involving Brazil, Russia, India and China. South Africa joined successful 2010 to adhd the S connected the extremity of the acronym.

For overmuch of the past decennary and a half, the radical has been dismissed by economists arsenic an alphabet crockery of countries - excessively dispersed retired and fundamentally antithetic from 1 different to signifier immoderate meaningful alliance.

But successful the past fewer years, it has grown much important and seemingly influential.

'A almighty platform'

The radical has expanded its rank to see Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates. Saudi Arabia has besides been invited to join, and according to Russia, determination are dozens of different countries that privation to go portion of the club.

That's contempt Russia's full-scale penetration of Ukraine, and the West's attempts to formed Mr Putin as a warfare criminal.

"A batch of countries successful the Global South are truly code deaf to rhetoric astir Russia breaking the rules," Alexander Gabuev, manager of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, told Sky News.

"All the questions 'what astir Iraq?' are not driven by Russian propaganda points but by genuine interest astir the US abusing its relation arsenic the astir almighty country.

"They realise that the existent planetary bid underwritten by the US doesn't truly present for them and they don't cognize what the alternate is but BRICS is truly a almighty level wherever these issues tin beryllium discussed."

Top of the docket this week is an alternate level for planetary payments, which Mr Putin hopes volition extremity the dominance of the dollar and marque the BRICS economies immune to Western sanctions.

Because contempt each the speech of sanctions not having the desired effect, they person caused Russia problems.

It's been chopped disconnected from planetary markets, and much recently, the country's had difficulties with cross-border trade, adjacent with affable countries similar China, due to the fact that it's linked to the dollar and there's a menace of secondary sanctions by the US.

An wholly caller system, not involving the dollar, would bypass those issues. But it's improbable to travel to fruition this week.

For one, the thought is inactive successful its infancy. What's more, not each the BRICS members, similar India and Brazil, stock Mr Putin's anti-Western sentiment.

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"There is interest among these countries astir however adjacent you privation to determination towards Russia oregon an docket that's seen arsenic enabling this horrible warfare from Russia successful Ukraine," Mr Gabuev said.

Brazil and India are not alone. Saudi Arabia and Turkey besides stock beardown ties with the West. Their beingness successful Kazan tin beryllium seen much arsenic an effort to play some sides, alternatively than overt enactment of Russia.

But that does not look to substance to the residents of Kazan. Most radical we person spoken to present presumption the acme arsenic the Kremlin intends.

"This is simply a fantastic event," Alexandra told us. "I deliberation that this volition beryllium a breakthrough and that the satellite has go multipolar."

Alexei is different who is arrogant of his president.

"He is looking successful each directions and it's bearing fruit," helium said. "If idiosyncratic thinks we're isolated, it is astir apt lone their problem."

Not everyone shares that opinion, though.

Favaris points to Russia's person ties with North Korea: "If you are friends with an outcast, past you person fallen little than ever."