Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi visit an exhibition during the BRICS Business Forum 2026 in New Delhi on Sept. 11. (Alexander KAZAKOV/Getty Images)
Russian President Vladimir Putin departed Sunday from the BRICS summit in New Delhi, but made his mark by issuing a stark warning to Europe over Ukraine while promoting deeper trade and ties to bypass U.S. economic dominance.
Speaking during his visit to India, Putin warned that deploying European troops to Ukraine would put European countries into direct conflict with Moscow and lead to war.
“They are currently talking about how to send troops into Ukraine. That means war with Russia,” Putin told journalists.
He simultaneously rejected assertions that Moscow intends to attack European countries, saying Russia had no reason to seek such a conflict.
The warning comes as European governments continue discussing possible security guarantees for Ukraine, including a potential multinational force following any ceasefire or peace agreement.
Moscow has repeatedly opposed such a deployment. Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Putin also used the BRICS gathering to attack what he described as Western efforts to maintain economic and political dominance.
At a BRICS business event, he accused Western competitors of trying “by any means necessary to regain their former leadership” and criticized sanctions and pressure against countries pursuing independent policies.
The Russian leader said BRICS should instead construct “a new, sustainable platform for global growth.”
The remarks came as BRICS members pursued measures that could gradually reduce their dependence on the U.S. dollar and Western-controlled financial channels.
The bloc has stopped short of formally endorsing a common BRICS currency or calling for the dollar to be replaced.
Instead, leaders have backed greater use of national currencies in trade and investment and stronger links between cross-border payment systems.
Putin argued that the scale of commerce within the grouping already gives it substantial economic weight.
“Domestic trade within our association has already reached $1.2 trillion,” Putin said, adding that BRICS countries account for almost a quarter of global exports.
He said differences between their economies could create opportunities for new production chains, technologies, services, and markets.
At the summit’s concluding session, Putin proposed establishing a BRICS insurance mechanism and a joint grain market.
He also highlighted the New Development Bank, saying it was managing projects worth $140 billion.
The economic agenda reflects BRICS’ broader attempt to give emerging economies greater influence over global trade and financial governance.
As of the summit in New Delhi, BRICS has 11 member countries: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Indonesia.
India’s government says these countries collectively represent about 50% of the world’s population, 40% of global GDP and 26% of global trade.
The 11-member grouping now represents nearly half the world’s population, although significant political and economic differences remain among its members.
Putin said BRICS’ economic potential was “far from exhausted,” arguing that complementary economies could form what he described as a common growth platform.
The summit also highlighted how geopolitics increasingly intersects with that economic ambition.
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