Careful draftsmanship couched in carefully generalised language was the view of many commentators as the 45-page long New Delhi Declaration 2026 – the longest of all BRICS declarations – was passed over the weekend at the BRICS Leaders Summit. The content which one commentator described as “boring” did however make some points that the Western world will definitely take note of.

While de-dollarization, the pet peeve of President Trump, was not mentioned, phrases such as “unilateral coercive measures” in the form of “economic sanctions and secondary sanctions” and the “rise of unilateral tariff and non-tariff measures which distort trade and are inconsistent with WTO rules" showed member nations were prepared to call out the US without mentioning it by name. The tone was set by President Putin, who at the BRICS Business Forum spoke about “old leaders.” Though he did not once mention the US, everyone knew whom the Russian president was referring to.

The focus of the Declaration was on Palestine, where it went further than anyone expected. While analysts had expected some mention in support of the Palestinian people, it went well beyond that. Expressing its firm........

© Free Press Journal