Vladimir Putin defends Ukraine war during address to Brics summit in Johannesburg

Russia’s president Vladimir Putin has used his platform at the Brics Summit in Johannesburg to defend his war against Ukraine and to praise the group of emerging market economies, saying its growing influence will lead to a multipolar world.

The five Brics (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) leaders had gathered on the second day of the summit to discuss the bloc’s common interests and how best they could help the African continent to develop economically.

But Russia’s leader spent much of his time condemning the West and justifying a conflict that has left tens of thousands dead and millions displaced since his regime invaded Ukraine in late February 2022.

Mr Putin started out by saying the Brics group stands for a multipolar world order built on international law and order, before taking a swipe at countries that prefer to promote “their hegemony, exceptionality, and policy of ongoing colonialism” around the globe instead.

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He then went to note that Western countries’ desire to preserve their hegemony had led to a dire crisis in the Donbas region of Ukraine eight years ago and that Russia had stepped in to “support people that fight for their culture, for their traditions, their language, and their future”.

He said: “Our actions in Ukraine are guided by only one thing, to put an end to the war that was unleashed by the West against people in Donbas.”

Mr Putin made his address virtually, as he faces an International Criminal Court arrest warrant for alleged war crimes in Ukraine. South Africa is a member of the Hague-based court and would be obliged to arrest him if in the country.

Before Mr Putin spoke, Brazil’s president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva told delegates that although he did not underestimate the difficulties that needed to be overcome to achieve peace between Russia and Ukraine, he insisted his country was willing to try.

“We cannot bypass or retreat from the main conflict today that is happening in Ukraine,” he said. “Brazil is ready to join the peace efforts and we can effectively contribute to achieving an immediate ceasefire, and an ever-lasting peace. Everybody suffers from the consequences of the war.”

Expanding bloc

The Brics leaders also touched on the subject of the group’s expansion on Tuesday before cancelling the day’s remaining public engagements to engage in unscheduled discussions behind closed doors.

Chinese president Xi Jinping called for the expansion of Brics during his address, saying it would make global governance fairer, while South African president Cyril Ramaphosa ended the session by saying: “We stand on the cusp of expanding Brics formally”.

On Tuesday Indian prime minister Narendra Modi also publicly supported the Brics expansion and last night all leaders who travelled to South Africa gathered for a private dinner at which the group’s expansion was one of the main topics discussed.

At least 20 countries have formally applied to join the group while another 20 have shown an interest in becoming members, according to Mr Ramaphosa. The Brics summit continues on Thursday for its final gathering of the three-day event.