LEILA FADEL, HOST:
The U.S. and its allies often say Russia's unprovoked full-scale invasion of neighboring Ukraine in 2022 led to its international isolation.
A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
But Russia tells a different story, one that'll be on display as President Vladimir Putin hosts leaders from many of the world's fastest developing economies in Russia this week.
FADEL: Joining us to talk about it is NPR's Charles Maynes in Moscow. Welcome.
CHARLES MAYNES, BYLINE: Hi there.
FADEL: Hi, Charles. So what is this summit? And who's on the guest list?
MAYNES: Well, this is the latest incarnation of what was initially known as the BRICS group of developing nations. That's an acronym for Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. They've since added a plus to the list to show their growing roster, which includes new members - such as Iran, Egypt, United Arab Emirates - as of this year. And the group looks to grow even further with Turkey, Azerbaijan, Malaysia waiting for admission.
You know, all told, the Kremlin says 22 world leaders will be attending, including China's Xi Jinping and India's Narendra Modi. The Kremlin is billing this as the biggest foreign policy summit in Russian history, and they're all coming to Kazan. That's the capital of Russia's Republic of Tatarstan, where, I should add, locals have been told basically to stay home, both out of concerns for security and to control the optics of the event.
FADEL: I mean, 22 world leaders doesn't sound like isolation. So Russian President Vladimir Putin must be feeling pretty good about that.
MAYNES: You know, that's a safe bet. The fact that these world leaders are all coming at this moment is a PR coup for Russia. The Kremlin would argue it's the latest proof, if it needed any more, that Russia is not at all isolated over its invasion of Ukraine, as the West would claim. Even the secretary-general of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, is in town for this event - over the objections of Kiev, I might add. Meanwhile, BRICS nations represent nearly half the world's population and increasingly a new world order, as Vladimir Putin argued during a speech at a related event last week in Moscow. Let's listen.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN: (Speaking Russian).
MAYNES: So here, Putin says companies from BRICS countries already dominate key economic industries like energy and agriculture. And in the not-too-distant future, BRICS nations, he says, will be the drivers of the global economy.
FADEL: Aside from growing economic might, what else unites these countries?
MAYNES: Well, you know, in the lead-up to the summit, Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, was asked something similar. He contrasted bricks to the G7 - the West group of seven leading industrialized economies - but saying that the G7 was a club no one else could ever get an invitation to, whereas BRICS, in Peskov's telling, was a far more democratic institution.
You know, but you're right. I mean, essentially, you know, many of these countries share resentments about the way global wealth and economic power is currently distributed. But the thing is they approach the solution differently. Whereas, you know, Russia, China, and Iran perhaps see BRICS through this geopolitical lens - a way to take on the West - others like India and Brazil aren't interested in that same level of antagonism. They strike a more neutral stance, for example, when it comes to Putin's actions in Ukraine. You know, they basically want to see what BRICS can do for them and to make the world economy more fair and just.
FADEL: So beyond the symbolism of it all, is there anything concrete expected to come out of the next few days?
MAYNES: Well, there are going to be a lot of bilateral meetings between leaders, so I'm sure you'll see a bunch of deals. Russia and Iran are expected to also sign a strategic partnership agreement that'll be closely watched by the West. But if Putin has his way, this conference will make significant progress in one area in particular - ending the dominance of the U.S. dollar. He wants to see BRICS nations come up with new financial mechanisms that could ultimately sanction-proof economies like Russia's from the West.
FADEL: That's NPR's Charles Maynes in Moscow. Thank you, Charles.
MAYNES: Thank you.
(SOUNDBITE OF CLOUDORIS, ET AL.'S "CLOSE YOUR EYES") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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