Overview

• Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin joined the online meeting, with Xi calling to uphold a WTO‑centered trading system and oppose protectionism, according to a Xinhua readout.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not attend and India was represented by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, a choice analysts framed as calibrated to avoid a public clash with Washington ahead of India’s 2026 BRICS chairship.
• The session was convened after steep U.S. tariff hikes disrupted trade, including reported 50% duties on India and Brazil that both governments have criticized as harmful to key sectors.
• Brazilian officials said leaders’ remarks would not be public and no joint communiqué would be issued, underscoring a tightly managed format intended to avoid overtly targeting the United States.
• Brazil’s agenda highlighted support for multilateralism, with local reports pointing to discussions on trade governance and institutional reform as the bloc weighs next steps following the tariff shock.