New Delhi: The BRICS New Delhi declaration makes no mention of the Russia-Ukraine war, a change from the 2025 Rio de Janeiro declaration agreed to by leaders of the grouping at the last leaders’ summit.
The 2026 New Delhi declaration has 15 paragraphs referring to different conflicts around the world including the conflict in Palestine, in West Asia, Syria, Sudan and the ongoing economic blockade of Cuba. However, there is no mention of the Russia-Ukraine war which is currently in its fifth year.
The 2025 Rio declaration said, “We recall our national positions concerning the conflict in Ukraine as expressed in the appropriate fora, including the UN Security Council and the UN General Assembly. We note with appreciation relevant proposals of mediation and good offices, including the creation of the African Peace Initiative and the Group of Friends for Peace, aimed at peaceful resolution of the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy. We expect that current efforts will lead to a sustainable peace settlement.”
The New Delhi declaration focuses on the larger need for dialogue and diplomacy in the ongoing conflicts around the world. The lack of specific mention of Ukraine comes as a major change, as even the Kazan declaration announced by the Russian presidency of BRICS in 2024 had a specific mention of the conflict between the two countries.
India had pushed hard to ensure consensus on language surrounding Ukraine during its G20 presidency in 2023. Consensus was forged between the US, European countries, the European Union and Russia on the final language that year which had specific mentions of the conflict in Eastern Europe.
“The BRICS position on geopolitical conflicts has been very clearly articulated with dialogue and diplomacy as a guiding parameter in addressing tensions and conflict. This has been reflected very clearly in the New Delhi declaration… We believe in adherence to international law, peaceful settlement of disputes, the critical importance of the UN Charter, that is something which BRICS and its members would like to articulate,” Sudhakar Dalela, Secretary (Economic Relations) in the Ministry of External Affairs and India’s BRICS Sherpa said at a special briefing Saturday evening.
Dalela refused to comment on “specific conflicts”.
(Edited by Viny Mishra)
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