Putin to take part in virtual BRICS summit on Gaza

MOSCOW (AFP) : Russian President Vladimir Putin will take part in a virtual summit of the BRICS group of nations on Tuesday to discuss the Israel-Hamas war, the Kremlin said.

The meeting will be chaired by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in the hope of drawing up a common response to the more than six week conflict.

“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.

In addition to Russia, the BRICS group includes Brazil, India, China and South Africa.

South Africa said United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres would also take part in the virtual meeting, and that it was expected to end with a joint statement.

Russia has maintained historically close ties with both Israel and the Palestinians, and Putin has said Russia could play a mediating role.

He has criticised the West for allegedly stoking tensions in the region and Israel for its conduct 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.