BRICS New Delhi Declaration Unites Bloc, Skips Ukraine — SkimNews
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- BRICS members adopted a unanimous declaration at the New Delhi summit — a feat that eluded the bloc's May foreign ministers meeting, where disputes between India, the UAE, and Iran over language on Israel and the U.S. scuttled consensus and forced only a chair's summary.
- The declaration condemned unilateral tariffs and non-tariff measures that violate WTO rules, and denounced secondary sanctions imposed outside UNSC authority as violations of international law harmful to Global South populations (paragraphs 21–22).
- Russia secured complete silence on the Ukraine war — the declaration made no mention of the invasion, its effects on global supply chains, or Western sanctions on Moscow.
- India won condemnation of the April 22, 2025 terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir that killed 26 people, plus language on cross-border movement of terrorists, terrorism financing, and safe havens — language that clearly targets Pakistan without naming it (paragraph 40).
- Iran secured language deeming attacks on its peaceful nuclear facilities under full IAEA safeguards as violations of international law, criticizing U.S.-Israeli strikes while shielding both countries from being named (paragraphs 28–29).
- The declaration affirmed full Palestinian UN membership and a sovereign Palestinian state within the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as capital, condemning forced displacement, starvation as a method of warfare, and attacks on civilians (paragraphs 30–34).
- Iranian President Pezeshkian received a warm red-carpet welcome from PM Modi and prominent placement at the BRICS Business Forum, while UAE leader Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed was notably absent — the UAE had blocked a similar declaration condemning Israel and the U.S. just four months earlier.
Why it matters: India's diplomatic effort produced a unanimous declaration from 10 BRICS nations that condemns unilateral U.S. sanctions, defends Iran's IAEA-safeguarded nuclear facilities as protected under international law, and affirms Palestinian statehood within 1967 borders — while staying entirely silent on the Ukraine war. Each major power secured its priority: China on sanctions language, Russia on Ukraine's omission, India on cross-border terrorism from Pakistan.
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