Russian President Vladimir Putin to attend BRICS virtual summit to discuss Israel-Hamas war

Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to participate in a virtual BRICS summit on November 21 to address the Israel-Hamas war, according to the Kremlin. “On November 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin will participate in an extraordinary BRICS summit (via videoconference) to discuss the Palestinian-Israeli conflict,” the Kremlin said, without providing further details, according to AFP. In addition to Russia, the BRICS group includes Brazil, India, China and South Africa. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa will chair the meeting in an effort to formulate a collective response to the six-week-long conflict. South Africa announced the participation of UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, anticipating a joint statement at the conclusion of the meeting. Russia, with historical ties to both Israel and the Palestinians, has expressed interest in mediating. Putin criticised the West for exacerbating tensions and Israel for its actions in the conflict. The meeting comes days after leaders from the APEC group, which includes China and the United States, failed to agree on a joint response to the war. With inputs from agencies