Putin hosts Global South leaders at BRICS summit meant to counterbalance Western clout

KAZAN, Russia (AP) — China’s Xi Jinping, India’s Narendra Modi and other global leaders have arrived in the Russian city of Kazan for a summit of the BRICS bloc of developing economies. The Kremlin hopes to turn into it a rallying point for defying Western influence in global affairs. For Russian President Vladimir Putin, the three-day meeting also offers a way to demonstrate the failure of U.S.-led efforts to isolate Russia over its actions in Ukraine. A Kremlin adviser calls the summit “the largest foreign policy event ever held” by Russia, with 36 countries attending. More than 20 are represented by heads of state.