BRICS nations meet amid divisions with West over Ukraine conflict, the possibility of Putin's attendance, and bloc's geopolitical influence

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met with counterparts from the BRICS economic bloc in South Africa to discuss issues like the war in Ukraine, on which the BRICS countries differ from the West.
There is speculation that Russian President Vladimir Putin may attend an August BRICS summit in South Africa, though he faces an arrest warrant there over Ukraine.
South Africa's government is seeking ways to legally allow Putin to attend and granted diplomatic immunity for the summits.
U.S.-South African relations are strained since South Africa took a "non-aligned" stance on Ukraine and allegedly helped arm a Russian ship.
The expansion of BRICS and potential rise in Russian and Chinese influence is a topic of discussion at the foreign ministers' meeting.