President Putin to attend BRICS summit in New Delhi on September 12-13: Kremlin aide

📌 Summary:

• Russian President Vladimir Putin will attend the BRICS summit in New Delhi on September 12-13, 2026, according to Kremlin aide for international affairs Yury Ushakov

• India, as the current chair of BRICS, will host the annual summit of the grouping in September 2026

• A bilateral meeting between Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping is planned on the sidelines of the New Delhi summit

• Putin last visited India in December 2025 for the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit; Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov attended a two-day BRICS conclave in New Delhi earlier in May 2026

• BRICS membership: It originally comprised Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa; it expanded in 2024 to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the UAE, with Indonesia joining in 2025

• Significance of BRICS: It now brings together 11 major emerging economies, representing around 49.5% of the global population, around 40% of global GDP and around 26% of global trade

🎯 UPSC Relevance: GS2 (bilateral, regional and global groupings; India's role in BRICS; India-Russia ties) — important for India's multi-alignment foreign policy and the reform of global governance.

📝 Prelims Facts:

• India is the BRICS chair for 2026; the summit will be held in New Delhi on September 12-13, 2026
• BRICS founding members: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa
• The 2024 expansion added Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the UAE; Indonesia joined in 2025 — taking membership to 11
• BRICS now represents about 49.5% of the global population, about 40% of global GDP and about 26% of global trade

🔑 Key Term: BRICS — an intergovernmental grouping of major emerging economies that seeks to reform global economic and political governance and serve as a counterweight to Western-led institutions.