Xi and Modi discuss Ukraine war with Putin as Brics considers expansion

China's Xi Jinping, India's Narendra Modi and some other Brics leaders discussed the war in Ukraine with President Vladimir Putin as the Kremlin chief chaired a major summit aimed at showing Western attempts to isolate Russia have failed.

Brics — an idea thought up inside Goldman Sachs two decades ago to describe the growing economic clout of China and other major emerging markets — is now a group that accounts for 45 per cent of the world's population and 35 per cent of the global economy.

But there are divisions and concerns even among members about how such a vast grouping can expand so swiftly while preserving some sense of geopolitical purpose and achieve any real economic results.

Putin, whose administration has dismissed war crimes allegations against him as political, opened the summit on Wednesday by saying that more than 30 states had expressed interest in joining the group but that it was important to strike a balance in any expansion.

"It would be wrong to ignore the unprecedented interest of the countries of the Global South and East in strengthening contacts with Brics," Putin told leaders meeting in Kazan, a Russian city on the banks of the Volga, Europe's longest river.

"At the same time, it is necessary to maintain a balance and prevent a decrease in the effectiveness of the Brics," he said, adding that the grouping would also discuss "acute regional conflicts" — shorthand for the Middle East and Ukraine.

The summit takes place as global finance chiefs gather in Washington against the backdrop of the two conflicts, a flagging Chinese economy and worries that the US presidential election could ignite new trade battles.

China and India buy about 90 per cent of Russia's oil — Moscow's biggest foreign currency earner. Russia is the world's second largest oil exporter.

The acronym Bric was coined in 2001 by then-Goldman Sachs chief economist Jim O'Neill in a research paper that underlined the massive growth potential of Brazil, Russia, India and China this century.

Russia, India and China began to meet more formally, eventually adding Brazil, then South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates. Saudi Arabia has yet to formally join.

More than 20 leaders, including Chinese President Xi, Indian Prime Minister Modi, UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian are attending the summit.

Putin's foreign policy aide said that further expansion of the group would have to take into account certain criteria and that a list of 13 countries for possible expansion had been agreed on.

Ukraine and Russia have each made separate proposals for ending the war which are far apart.