Trump shadow looms large over Brics as Modi hosts Putin and Xi in Delhi - bbc.com

**BRICS Summit in Delhi Casts a Wide Net Over Global Trade**

New Delhi became the focal point of a high‑stakes diplomatic gathering this weekend as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping for a series of talks that underscored India’s ambition to reshape the BRICS bloc. While the three leaders exchanged speeches on “shared development” and “multipolarity,” the shadow of former U.S. President Donald Trump lingered over the proceedings. Analysts note that Trump’s hard‑line stance on China, his skepticism toward multilateral institutions, and the continuation of U.S. sanctions on Russia have forced BRICS members to calibrate their strategies to accommodate both cooperation and resistance to American pressure.

A central theme of the summit was the push to expand trade in local currencies, a move that could bypass the U.S.‑dominated dollar system. India’s finance minister announced that the country would promote the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) as a digital bridge for cross‑border settlements, while Iran’s foreign minister, Hossein Pezeshkian, echoed the call for greater use of rupees, yuan, and rials in intra‑BRICS transactions. Both nations argued that such a framework would insulate member economies from “extraterritorial sanctions,” a reference to the sanctions regime imposed on Moscow after its invasion of Ukraine. The proposals were welcomed by business circles but met with caution by Western observers who warn that decoupling from the dollar could heighten financial fragmentation.

Logistical preparations for the summit were evident across the capital, with Delhi’s traffic police issuing a detailed advisory that rerouted vehicles away from key corridors to ensure smooth movement for delegations and security personnel. The city’s metro and road networks were placed on high alert, and temporary security zones were established around the Rashtrapati Bhavan and other venues. As the summit concluded, officials emphasized that the outcomes—ranging from a joint communiqué on digital trade to a roadmap for expanding BRICS membership—reflected India’s vision of a “bigger, more inclusive” bloc that can serve as a counterweight to Western‑led financial architecture, even as the United States, under the lingering influence of Trump’s policies, continues to watch closely.