Putin calls Brics allies to debrief them on his Trump summit

Russian president Vladimir Putin called the leaders of India, Brazil and South Africa to brief them about his summit with Donald Trump in Alaska, in what is being seen as an attempt to rally major Brics economies facing some of the harshest US tariffs.

The Kremlin said Mr Putin spoke to Indian prime minister Narendra Modi on Monday, briefing him on the outcome of Friday’s meeting with the US president.

The two leaders “discussed the prospects for a long-term settlement of the crisis in Ukraine”, the Kremlin readout said, adding that they agreed to continue the dialogue on this issue.

Mr Modi described Mr Putin as his “friend” and thanked him for “sharing insights on his recent meeting with President Trump in Alaska”.

“India has consistently called for a peaceful resolution of the Ukraine conflict and supports all efforts in this regard. I look forward to our continued exchanges in the days to come,” he wrote on X on Monday evening.

India is facing significant pressure from the Trump administration over its continued imports of energy from Russia during the Ukraine war. Mr Trump has doubled tariffs on Indian exports to the country, increasing them to 50 per cent by next week.

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Mr Putin also called Brazil’s Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Monday, another Brics nation facing a 50 per cent tariff alongside India. The Brazilian president’s office said Mr Lula and Mr Putin had a 30-minute-long conversation.

Mr Lula confirmed that he and the Russian president discussed the Alaska meeting. He described the talks with Mr Putin as “positive” and “acknowledged Brazil’s involvement in the Group Friends for Peace”, an initiative to include supposedly neutral countries – including China, one of Russia’s closest allies – to find a resolution for the Ukraine crisis.

"President Lula reaffirmed Brazil's support for all efforts aimed at a peaceful resolution to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine," it added.

South African president Cyril Ramaphosa said the Russian leader “expressed satisfaction” with his meeting with Mr Trump and urged for “compromise on key issues for lasting peace.”

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The Kremlin said Mr Ramaphosa “expressed support for the diplomatic efforts” on Ukraine.

Mr Putin also spoke to Mr Modi, Mr Lula and Chinese president Xi Jinping earlier this month after the announcement of Mr Trump’s meeting with the Russian president.

Brazil, Russia, India, South Africa and China are the founding members of Brics, an economic and political bloc often seen as a counterweight to the West.

Although the three-hour Trump-Putin meeting – the longest face-to-face meeting between the two leaders – was described as “productive” by both sides, it failed to deliver a ceasefire in Ukraine.

Tensions between Washington and the Brics bloc have escalated in recent weeks after Mr Trump announced a sweeping hike in trade tariffs. While India and Brazil face the steepest duties at 50 per cent, South Africa has been hit with a 30 per cent tariff. China, under a temporary trade truce, currently faces a 30 per cent tariff – with the risk of further increases if negotiations fail.