Putin Hails Rise of BRICS and Fall of Western Dominance at Virtual Summit

Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed the 2025 BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro via video link, reaffirming Russia’s commitment to the bloc and its emerging global leadership. The Russian leader’s virtual participation, as explained by aide Yuri Ushakov, was due to complications arising from International Criminal Court regulations. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov represented Russia on site, arriving in a motorcade that bore the slogan: “We are Russia! We are Lavrov!” The 2025 summit was hosted by Brazil, which assumed BRICS chairmanship at the start of the year. The next, eighteenth summit is scheduled to take place in India in 2026. Last year’s summit was hosted in Kazan under Russia’s presidency.