Courtesy: Reuters / Yonhap News Agency
The recent BRICS Summit in New Delhi was declared a success. Its 140-paragraph New Delhi Declaration is the longest yet. With members divided over the Russia-Ukraine and West Asia wars, leaders avoided naming countries or taking positions, focusing on issues affecting the Global South and deepening intra-BRICS cooperation. India steered the grouping towards practical cooperation. The question now is: how will BRICS implement the decisions taken?
Courtesy: Global Times
Russia marked 22 per cent growth in trade with China in the first half of 2026, putting it on track for a record-breaking year. Three decades of growth have made China indispensable to Moscow, while sanctions-evasion networks have eased Russia’s isolation and increased dependence on Beijing. Wary of over-reliance, Russia has pivoted towards India and Africa since 2022, but these ties are unlikely to replace China.
Courtesy: Xinhua via AP
Russia-China ties have come a long way from the tensions of the Cold War. Since Russia’s relationship with the West began deteriorating in 2008, China has emerged as a counterweight, with growing economic and cultural ties. In 2026, 83% of Russians viewed China favourably, while bilateral trade grew 22%. This relationship seems rock-solid, and even a thaw with the West is unlikely to alter its course.
Courtesy: Facebook / The Bharat Post
India will host the 18th BRICS Summit from September 12-13, 2026, amid adverse geopolitical circumstances. With Russia at war in Ukraine and Iran, the UAE and Saudi Arabia caught in the U.S.-Israel conflict, the BRICS grouping faces its biggest test yet. Yet its members remain committed to the “BRICS spirit” and promoting a fair international order. Can India use the summit to advance peace and development?
Courtesy: The Wall Street Journal
The 29th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum highlighted Russia’s push for technological sovereignty. President Vladimir Putin argued that Russia and the Global South must avoid being held hostage to the West. Since the Russia-Ukraine war began in 2022, sweeping sanctions have accelerated Russia’s efforts to build domestic digital infrastructure, strengthen AI capabilities, and deepen technological cooperation with partners such as India.
Courtesy: Gateway House
The West Asian conflict is raising questions about Iran’s performance. Tehran appeared well-prepared, having expanded its low-cost drone and missile capabilities. It also widened the conflict by targeting U.S. bases in the Gulf. The key lesson is that eliminating leadership does not guarantee regime change. The conflict underscores that modern warfare depends not just on battlefield gains, but also on economic resilience, trade leverage, and technological strength.
Courtesy: AFP
It is important to take an objective review of PM Modi’s visit to Jerusalem and its implications for India’s security. New Delhi will have to demonstrate its strategic autonomy by managing heterogeneous and often contrapuntal relationships and strike a balance in its ties with the U.S. and Israel on the one hand and Iran and the Arab world on the other hand.
Courtesy: Gateway House
The Arctic region is at the crossroads of the dramatic environmental shifts and heightened conflict that are shaping global politics today. In the region, major geopolitical events and enduring rivalries necessitate a logic of competition, yet coordination on transboundary issues remains important. This echoes the challenges facing oceans, ecosystems and planetary problems in global governance more broadly, in which political efforts yield frustratingly incremental, yet indispensable, results.
Courtesy: AFP
The U.S.–Israel war against Iran will alter the geopolitical landscape of West Asia and adversely impact the global economy, including India. Vali Nasr, Majid Khadduri Professor of International Affairs and Middle East Studies at Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, analyses the conflict and its implications in an exclusive conversation with Nayanima Basu.
Courtesy: Shutterstock
The U.S. and Israel launched precise airstrikes on Iran, targeting nuclear facilities and senior leadership. Their aim is to weaken Iran’s nuclear programme and potentially induce regime change, while Tehran’s priority remains regime survival. The conflict’s duration will depend on whether it remains limited to missile exchanges or escalates into asymmetric warfare.