Ukraine was rarely named but frequently alluded to as the presidents of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa — collectively known as BRICS — delivered their opening remarks at a virtual summit hosted by China on Thursday.

In his speech, Chinese President Xi Jinping stated that the organization's objective was to "make the world a more stable place" and "speak out for equity and justice." He then appeared to target the West, but the United States was never explicitly mentioned.

The president of the world's second-largest economy said, ostensibly about U.S. and European Union sanctions against Moscow, "We must abandon cold war mentality and bloc confrontation and oppose unilateral sanctions and the abuse of sanctions."

Brazil was the only BRICS nation to vote against Russia's invasion of Ukraine at the United Nations earlier this year. BRICS nations are growing economies that promote themselves as an alternative to the U.S.-led liberal international order. China, India, and South Africa withheld condemnation of the invasion.

Xi's remarks Wednesday at the BRICS business gathering preceding the major summit were even less ambiguous.

"We in the international community should oppose hegemony and power politics and reject zero-sum games," he stated.

Avoid 'spillovers'

"Important developed nations should adopt prudent economic policies and avoid negative policy spillovers that could have a devastating impact on developing nations. It has been repeatedly demonstrated that sanctions are both a boomerang and a two-edged sword," he continued.

Xi specifically mentioned Ukraine, unlike the others: "The combination of the COVID-19 epidemic and the Ukraine crisis has disrupted global industry and supply chains... And poor countries and rising markets take the brunt."

Putin, for his part, congratulated Xi and "all our Chinese friends" on Thursday and criticized the "selfish actions of certain states" that he said had plunged the world economy into a crisis, referring to sanctions against his government.

Countries in the global South have been severely impacted by food poverty and rising oil costs due to the Ukraine crisis. Putin said Russia could "count on the support of many Asian, African, and Latin American states pursuing an independent policy."

At a Wednesday business gathering, Putin stated that Russia is aggressively "redirecting its trade flows" and increasing oil shipments to India and China. In response to disruptions in supply chains, the Brazilian government, according to President Jair Bolsonaro, would aim to "deepen our economic integration."

South Africa, a BRICS democracy, has been heavily attacked for its neutral stance on the Ukraine war. President Cyril Ramaphosa was less aggressive than other leaders during the meeting on Thursday.

"In accordance with our foreign policy principles, South Africa continues to advocate dialogue and negotiation for the peaceful resolution of international conflicts," he said.

Different viewpoints

Subsequently, the group issued a vague joint statement, highlighting the differing perspectives of the various nations.

"We have discussed the situation in Ukraine and recollect our national viewpoints as voiced in the proper forums, particularly the UNSC and UNGA. We endorse discussions between Russia and Ukraine "According to the statement, BRICS supported U.N. humanitarian assistance to the region.

Leaders, notably Xi and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, also emphasized the need to strengthen international collaboration in the fight against the COVID-19 virus.

Regarding this issue, Ramaphosa criticized the West for not adhering to "the principles of solidarity and cooperation with regard to equal access to vaccines."

"We urge developed nations, international organizations, and philanthropists who purchase vaccines to do so from developing nations, including Africa," he stated.

Despite their desire to show a united front against the United States and its allies, BRICS member states have conflicts among themselves, which do not necessarily hinder their ability to work together. Bolsonaro has made anti-China sentiments in the past, while India has pushed China on the disputed Ladakh border.

Wednesday, before the BRICS summit, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Indian Ambassador Pradeep Kumar Rawat in Beijing. In the summary of the conference, Beijing stressed that the two nations should continue to seek "solutions through dialogue and consultation" on the "boundary issue" and that "common interests between China and India outweigh differences by a wide margin."

BRICS expansion

Moreover, China has advocated the extension of BRICS to include other nations. "Introducing new blood will inject new vitality into BRICS cooperation and increase the group's representation and influence," Xi remarked during the summit.

To "strengthen the solidarity and cooperation between emerging markets and developing countries," according to Wang, officials and foreign ministers of Argentina, Egypt, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Nigeria, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, and Thailand, described as BRICS Plus countries, were invited to a virtual meeting of BRICS foreign ministers in May for the first time.

In a joint statement, the BRICS nations affirmed their support for continued discussions on increasing bloc membership but "emphasized the need to clarify" the process.