BRICS Summit: Russia Wants End To ‘Ukraine War Unleashed By West,’ Says Putin… 

President of Russia, Vladimir Putin has said the Kremlin wants to see an end to the conflict in Ukraine which he claimed was “unleashed by the West and its satellites.”

Putin made this statement on Wednesday at the inaugural BRICS summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, where he attended virtually. 

The summit opened on Tuesday as the loosely defined club of large emerging economies seeks to assert its voice as a counterweight to the Western-led international order.

The BRICS nations of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa represent a quarter of the global economy, and interest in joining the group surged ahead of its three-day summit in Johannesburg.

Putin’s travel to Africa has been complicated by an outstanding International Criminal Court warrant for his arrest over the abduction of children from Ukraine.

The Russian leader who gave a 17-minute prerecorded speech addressed to the leaders of Brazil, India, China and South Africa accused the West of oppression actions aimed at the people of Donbass. 

“Our actions in Ukraine are dictated by only one thing – to stop the war unleashed by the West and their satellites against people living in Donbass,” he said

“It should be noted that many countries that wanted to preserve their hegemony, launched a difficult conflict in Ukraine. Russia decided to support those who fought for their language, culture and language, and to oppose those who threatened the life of people in Donbass.”

Fellow BRICS nations have abstained from condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. 

On the future of BRICS, he said “Our group of the five countries has rightly proved to be a credible entity in the global arena, with an ever-growing influence in global affairs. The strategic course of BRICS is aimed at the future .”

Putin took further swipes at the Western bloc, denouncing what he claimed were attempts to influence the political and economic affairs of other countries.