BRICS summit 2026: What are the key takeaways?

The 11-member bloc, which accounts for 40% of global GDP, avoids condemning US-Israel war on Iran, showing divisions within the group.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin (3L), India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi (3R) and China's President Xi Jinping (2R) posing with other leaders for a family photo during the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi on September 13, 2026 [Handout/ Indian Press Information Bureau (PIB) shows (Photo by Handout / Indian Press Information Bureau via AFP]

Leaders of the BRICS group of nations unanimously adopted a joint declaration on the first day of the two-day summit in the Indian capital, New Delhi, despite divisions among members over the wars in Iran and Ukraine.

The New Delhi Declaration, adopted on Saturday, called for restraint in the Middle East but avoided condemning the US-Israeli strikes or Iran’s targeting of Gulf countries in the region. It also criticised the global trade war without naming the United States.

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Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, were among the leaders attending the gathering of the 11-member bloc in New Delhi at a time of global upheaval caused by the US-Israel war on Iran, Trump’s tariff war and the US’s unilateral decisions to promote its foreign policy.

Al Jazeera’s Um-e-Kulsoom Shariff, reporting from New Delhi, said the group “steered clear” of naming any countries, even on the issue of wide-ranging US tariffs. “We’ve seen BRICS countries who have been targeted, be it India, Russia, China, or any other, but they have stayed clear,” she reported.

“While they said unilateral tariffs are condemned and they work against international law, they have not named the US. So India had to keep in mind that it has bilateral trade relations with other countries, and so do others.”

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said BRICS had reached a “coming of age” moment and called on the Global South to become a “rule-shaper” rather than simply accept rules set elsewhere.

Here are key takeaways from the declaration from the summit:

The Global South grouping was initiated in 2006 by Brazil, Russia, India and China (BRIC). After South Africa joined the grouping four years later, it acquired its current name BRICS. The bloc has since expanded to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia.

The BRICS nations constitute nearly half the world’s population and account for approximately 40 percent of global gross domestic product (GDP).

The bloc has sought greater influence for developing economies in institutions traditionally dominated by Western powers and has pushed for reforms to bodies, including the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the World Trade Organization.

Conveying India’s position, Modi insisted that the bloc should not be interpreted simply as an anti-Western project.

“BRICS is not against anyone,” he said, while arguing that the Global South should play a bigger role in shaping global governance.

US-Israel war on Iran

The war was one of the biggest tests of whether the expanded BRICS could reach a common position.

Leaders expressed “deep concern over the continued escalation of tensions” in the Middle East and called for “maximum restraint”, while urging countries to avoid actions that could further aggravate the situation. It did not mention the US, Israel, Iran or the Gulf states explicitly.

The joint statement issued at the BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro last year had condemned the US and Israeli war on Iran, calling it a “blatant breach of international law”.

China’s Xi said in a statement the war “does not serve the common interests of the international community”, and called for a political settlement and a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire.

In May, BRICS foreign ministers failed to agree on a joint statement amid differences over the war. Iran is a member of BRICS, as is the UAE, which has faced Iranian attacks during the conflict.

Former Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Menon Rao said New Delhi scored a “significant diplomatic success” in securing a declaration despite “sharp differences between Iran and the UAE”.

“Consensus was preserved, but only through carefully generalised language. In this, BRICS’s value and its limitation was exposed: it can keep difficult conversations alive and affirm broad principles, but it struggles to assign responsibility or organise collective action when there is the occasional collision of the interests of its members,” she posted on X.

The declaration also raised concern over deliberate attacks on civilian infrastructure and peaceful nuclear facilities protected by International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards – language that could be seen as an indirect criticism of US and Israeli attacks on Iranian nuclear sites.

During the 12-day war in 2025, the US bombed three main Iranian nuclear facilities at Natanz, Isfahan and Fordow.

Praveen Donthi, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, said expectations for the BRICS summit were low due to geopolitical turbulence and clashing strategic interests.

“The members, invested in the success of this non-Western grouping, would be reasonably satisfied with the modest outcome,” he said.

Donthi added that India used its strong ties with all members and worked behind the scenes to release the declaration, overcoming the biggest hurdle: convincing the UAE and Iran, who are on opposite sides of the ongoing conflict.

Leaders of participating countries gather for a family photo during the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi on September 13, 2026 [Handout/Indian Press Information Bureau (PIB) via AFP]

The Ukraine war remains another source of tension within BRICS, particularly because Russia is a founding member of the group.

The declaration issued a generic call for international disputes to be resolved through “dialogue, consultation, and diplomacy” without mentioning Ukraine.

However, BRICS leaders criticised unilateral sanctions not authorised by the United Nations Security Council.

“We call for the elimination of such unlawful measures, which undermine international law and the principles and purposes of the UN Charter,” the statement said.

The position is significant for Russia, which has faced extensive Western sanctions since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. India, meanwhile, has maintained close relations with Moscow, importing oil from Russia amid disruption to global oil supplies since the US-Israel war on Iran broke out.

Kremlin ⁠spokesman ⁠Dmitry Peskov said on Sunday ⁠that Xi and Modi offered their services for peace talks on Ukraine, and that ⁠Putin welcomed their readiness, state news ⁠agency TASS ⁠reported.

Last year, Trump imposed a 25 percent tariff on Indian goods as a penalty for its purchase of Russian crude. India has since cut down its imports of Russian crude oil.

Support for Palestinian statehood

BRICS adopted much more explicit language on Palestine.

The declaration expressed “firm opposition” to the forced displacement of Palestinians and to attempts to change the geography or demography of the occupied Palestinian territory.

It called for an end to Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, unhindered humanitarian access, support for UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, and full UN membership for Palestine.

The bloc also reiterated its support for a two-state solution and the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, with occupied East Jerusalem as its capital.

The declaration raised concern over “unilateral tariff and non-tariff measures” that distort trade, while also opposing sanctions imposed without UNSC authorisation.

Washington has imposed tariffs on several BRICS countries, including China, Russia and India, and President Donald Trump has previously described the grouping as “anti-American”. He threatened additional tariffs against countries aligning themselves with it.

Speaking at the summit, Putin accused countries “accustomed to thinking in colonial categories” of using tariffs, sanctions and “brute force” to contain emerging competitors.

At the same time, the bloc called for cooperation to protect global trade, supply chains, energy flows and maritime security as wars disrupt international commerce.

BRICS reiterated its “commitment to strengthening multilateralism and multipolarity”, noting that a multipolar world can expand opportunities for Emerging Markets and Developing Countries (EMDCs) to develop “constructive potential and enjoy universally beneficial, inclusive, sustainable and equitable economic globalisation and cooperation”.

Putin called for greater representation for Asia, Africa and Latin America on the UNSC and argued that the shift towards a multipolar world was being resisted by established powers.

Xi said BRICS countries should help steer the international order towards greater “equity and justice”, while Modi called for the Global South to move from being a rule-taker to a “rule-shaper”.

“We have to transform this pyramid of privilege into a platform of partnership,” Modi told the summit.

Yet India has also sought to distance BRICS from the idea that it exists simply to confront the West. “We are not against anyone; rather, we strive to move forward with the approach of taking everyone along,” he asserted.

这个由 11 个成员国组成的集团占全球 GDP 的 40%，却避免谴责美国和以色列对伊朗的战争，这表明该集团内部存在分歧。

2026年9月13日，在印度新德里举行的第十八届金砖国家峰会期间，俄罗斯总统弗拉基米尔·普京（左三）、印度总理纳伦德拉·莫迪（右三）和中国国家主席习近平（右二）与其他领导人合影。[图片由印度新闻信息局（PIB）提供，经法新社发布]

尽管金砖国家领导人在伊朗和乌克兰战争问题上存在分歧，但在印度首都新德里举行的为期两天的峰会首日，他们一致通过了一项联合声明。

周六通过的《新德里宣言》呼吁中东地区保持克制，但并未谴责美以空袭或伊朗对海湾国家的袭击。宣言还批评了全球贸易战，但同样没有点名批评美国。

普京和佩泽什基扬在印度出席金砖国家峰会，但伊朗和乌克兰战争给峰会蒙上阴影（共3条记录，第1条）。

列表 2/3：下次金砖国家峰会可能促成伊朗停火

列表 3（共 3 条）：多极格局赋予中等强国更多选择，但保障更少。

在中国国家主席习近平和俄罗斯总统弗拉基米尔·普京等领导人出席了在新德里举行的11国集团会议之际，正值美国与以色列对伊朗的战争、特朗普的关税战以及美国单方面推行其外交政策导致全球动荡之时。

半岛电视台驻新德里记者乌姆·库尔苏姆·沙里夫报道称，该组织“刻意回避”点名任何国家，即使是在面对美国大范围加征关税的问题上也是如此。她报道说：“我们看到一些金砖国家，无论是印度、俄罗斯、中国还是其他国家，都成为了关税目标，但他们都保持了沉默。”

“虽然他们表示谴责单边关税，认为其违反国际法，但他们没有点名美国。因此，印度必须记住，它与其他国家有双边贸易关系，其他国家也是如此。”

印度总理纳伦德拉·莫迪表示，金砖国家已经进入“成熟”阶段，并呼吁全球南方国家成为“规则制定者”，而不是简单地接受其他地方制定的规则。

以下是峰会宣言的主要内容：

全球南方集团于2006年由巴西、俄罗斯、印度和中国（金砖国家）发起。四年后，南非加入，集团更名为金砖国家（BRICS）。此后，该集团成员不断增加，包括埃及、埃塞俄比亚、伊朗、阿拉伯联合酋长国、沙特阿拉伯和印度尼西亚。

金砖国家人口占世界总人口的近一半，约占全球国内生产总值（GDP）的40%。

该集团一直寻求发展中经济体在传统上由西方大国主导的机构中拥有更大的影响力，并推动对包括世界银行、国际货币基金组织和世界贸易组织在内的机构进行改革。

莫迪在阐述印度的立场时坚持认为，不应将该集团简单地解读为反西方项目。

“金砖国家不反对任何人，”他说道，同时认为全球南方国家应该在全球治理中发挥更大的作用。

美国和以色列对伊朗的战争

这场战争是对扩大后的金砖国家能否达成共同立场的最大考验之一。

各国领导人对中东地区紧张局势持续升级表示“深切关注”，呼吁各方“保持最大限度的克制”，并敦促各国避免采取可能进一步恶化局势的行动。声明没有明确提及美国、以色列、伊朗或海湾国家。

去年在里约热内卢举行的金砖国家峰会上发表的联合声明谴责了美国和以色列对伊朗的战争，称其为“公然违反国际法”。

中国国家主席习近平在一份声明中表示，这场战争“不符合国际社会的共同利益”，并呼吁通过政治途径解决问题，实现永久、全面的停火。

今年5月，金砖国家外长因在战争问题上存在分歧，未能就联合声明达成一致。伊朗是金砖国家成员国，阿联酋也是，在冲突期间曾遭受伊朗的袭击。

印度前外交秘书尼鲁帕玛·梅农·拉奥表示，尽管“伊朗和阿联酋之间存在严重分歧”，但新德里在促成一项声明方面取得了“重大外交成功”。

“共识得以维持，但仅仅是通过精心概括的语言。这暴露了金砖国家的价值和局限性：它可以维持艰难的对话并确认广泛的原则，但当其成员的利益偶尔发生冲突时，它难以分配责任或组织集体行动，”她在X上发帖说。

该声明还对蓄意攻击受国际原子能机构（IAEA）保障措施保护的民用基础设施和和平利用核设施表示关切——这种措辞可能被视为对美国和以色列袭击伊朗核设施的间接批评。

在 2025 年为期 12 天的战争中，美国轰炸了伊朗位于纳坦兹、伊斯法罕和福尔多的三个主要核设施。

国际危机组织高级分析师普拉文·唐蒂表示，由于地缘政治动荡和战略利益冲突，人们对金砖国家峰会的期望值很低。

他说：“这些成员都对这个非西方团体的成功投入了心血，因此他们对这个有限的结果应该会感到相当满意。”

唐蒂补充说，印度利用其与所有成员国的牢固关系，在幕后开展工作，最终发表了这份宣言，克服了最大的障碍：说服在当前冲突中处于对立阵营的阿联酋和伊朗。

2026年9月13日，在印度新德里举行的第18届金砖国家峰会期间，与会各国领导人合影留念。[图片由印度新闻信息局（PIB）通过法新社提供]

乌克兰战争仍然是金砖国家内部紧张局势的另一个根源，尤其因为俄罗斯是该组织的创始成员国。

该宣言笼统地呼吁通过“对话、磋商和外交”解决国际争端，但没有提及乌克兰。

然而，金砖国家领导人批评了未经联合国安理会授权的单边制裁。

声明称：“我们呼吁消除此类非法措施，这些措施破坏了国际法以及《联合国宪章》的原则和宗旨。”

这一立场对俄罗斯意义重大，自2022年全面入侵乌克兰以来，俄罗斯一直面临西方的广泛制裁。与此同时，印度与莫斯科保持着密切关系，自美以对伊朗发动战争以来，全球石油供应中断，印度一直从俄罗斯进口石油。

据塔斯社报道，克里姆林宫发言人德米特里·佩斯科夫周日表示，习近平和莫迪已表示愿意为乌克兰和平谈判提供服务，普京对他们的意愿表示欢迎。

去年，特朗普对印度商品加征25%的关税，以惩罚印度购买俄罗斯原油。此后，印度减少了俄罗斯原油的进口。

支持巴勒斯坦建国

金砖国家在巴勒斯坦问题上采用了更为明确的措辞。

该声明对强迫巴勒斯坦人流离失所以及改变被占领巴勒斯坦领土的地理或人口结构的企图表示“坚决反对”。

它呼吁结束以色列对加沙的种族灭绝战争，保障人道主义援助畅通无阻，支持联合国近东救济工程处（联合国巴勒斯坦难民机构），并给予巴勒斯坦正式的联合国成员国资格。

该集团还重申支持两国方案，并支持建立一个以 1967 年边界为基础、以被占领的东耶路撒冷为首都的主权巴勒斯坦国。

该宣言对扭曲贸易的“单边关税和非关税措施”表示关切，同时反对未经联合国安理会授权而实施的制裁。

华盛顿已对包括中国、俄罗斯和印度在内的多个金砖国家加征关税，唐纳德·特朗普总统此前曾将该组织描述为“反美”组织。他还威胁要对加入该组织的国家加征关税。

普京在峰会上发表讲话，指责那些“习惯于用殖民主义思维方式思考”的国家使用关税、制裁和“暴力”来遏制新兴竞争对手。

与此同时，该集团呼吁开展合作，以保护全球贸易、供应链、能源流动和海上安全，因为战争会扰乱国际贸易。

金砖国家重申了其“加强多边主义和多极化的承诺”，并指出多极世界可以为新兴市场和发展中国家（EMDC）扩大发展“建设性潜力并享受普遍受益、包容、可持续和公平的经济全球化与合作”的机会。

普京呼吁亚洲、非洲和拉丁美洲在联合国安理会拥有更大的代表权，并认为向多极世界的转变正受到既有大国的抵制。

习近平表示，金砖国家应帮助引导国际秩序朝着更加“公平正义”的方向发展，而莫迪则呼吁全球南方国家从规则接受者转变为“规则制定者”。

莫迪在峰会上表示：“我们必须将这种特权金字塔转变为伙伴关系平台。”

然而，印度也试图澄清金砖国家并非仅仅为了对抗西方而存在。他强调：“我们不反对任何人；相反，我们努力采取团结各方、共同前进的方式。”