MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to participate in a virtual summit of the BRICS group of nations on Tuesday, focused on discussions surrounding the Israeli bombardments in Gaza, as announced by the Kremlin.
The extraordinary summit, chaired by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, aims to formulate a unified response to the more than six-week-long conflict in Gaza.
The Kremlin stated, “On November 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin will participate in an extraordinary BRICS summit (via videoconference) to discuss the Palestinian-Israeli conflict,” without providing further details on the specific agenda.
Apart from Russia, the BRICS group comprises Brazil, India, China, and South Africa. The participation of United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in the virtual meeting has been confirmed by South Africa. The summit is expected to conclude with a joint statement outlining the collective position of the BRICS nations.
Russia’s Position on Gaza Conflict
Russia has historically maintained close ties with both Israel and the Palestinians, and President Putin has expressed Russia’s potential role as a mediator in the conflict. Putin has criticized the West for alleged involvement in escalating tensions in the region, as well as Israel for its conduct during the conflict.
This virtual summit follows recent discussions within the APEC group, which includes China and the United States, where leaders failed to reach a consensus on a joint response to the Israel-Palestine conflict.
