The 18th BRICS Summit 2026, being held in India, has focused on several important issues, including war, terrorism, global trade, nuclear security, multilateralism and the role of developing countries. The summit is being held on September 12–13, 2026, at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. India is chairing BRICS this year.
Several different claims related to the summit have appeared on social media and in short-news posts. These include the joint tree plantation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, the BRICS response to the Iran war, its position on U.S. tariffs, condemnation of the Pahalgam terror attack, and concerns over nuclear risks.
When these claims are examined on the basis of official information and available reliable reports, the picture is as follows.
BRICS 2026: Why Is It Important for India?
BRICS is no longer limited to the original five countries. Following its expansion, several emerging economies have become part of the grouping, increasing its influence in global politics and the economy of the Global South.
The 2026 BRICS Summit is taking place under India's chairmanship at a time when the world is facing several major geopolitical crises. The war and tensions in West Asia, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, trade tariffs, sanctions and reforms in global institutions have made this summit particularly significant.
According to India's Ministry of External Affairs, the 18th BRICS Summit is being held on September 12 and 13 in New Delhi.
Modi, Putin and Xi Jinping Participate in Joint Tree Plantation
Images from the summit show Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, along with other BRICS leaders, participating in a tree-plantation activity in Delhi.
The event was presented not merely as a formal photo opportunity but also as a symbol of cooperation, environmental sustainability and a shared future among BRICS countries. According to reports, the leaders participated in a tree-plantation programme at the Bharat Mandapam complex and later posed for a group photograph.
However, it would not be correct to present this as a separate international environmental agreement. The tree-plantation programme and the formal BRICS policy declaration are two different things.
What Did BRICS Say About the War in the Middle East?
One of the most sensitive issues at the 2026 BRICS Summit has been the ongoing war and rising tensions in West Asia.
In the New Delhi Declaration 2026, BRICS members expressed serious concern over the situation in the Middle East and called for maximum restraint and avoidance of actions that could further escalate tensions.
The declaration also emphasized the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure and respect for international law and the principles of the United Nations Charter.
Did BRICS Directly Condemn the United States?
Here, an important factual distinction needs to be understood.
Some viral posts claimed:
BRICS condemned the United States over the Iran war.
However, describing the official joint position in this direct manner would not be entirely accurate. Rather than directly naming the United States and blaming it for the war, the BRICS declaration focused on international law, civilian protection, restraint and diplomatic solutions.
The declaration also opposed unilateral sanctions and coercive economic measures that are not authorized by the United Nations Security Council.
Therefore, a more factually accurate headline would be:
BRICS Expresses Concern Over Rising Tensions in West Asia, Calls for Restraint and Diplomacy.
BRICS Position on the Risk of Nuclear War
Another major issue was nuclear risk.
The New Delhi Declaration expressed concern over growing conflicts and nuclear risks. Member countries reiterated the need to resolve international disputes through dialogue, consultation and diplomacy.
The declaration also emphasized the importance of protecting peaceful nuclear facilities and maintaining nuclear safety during armed conflicts.
Therefore, the viral headline “BRICS Issues Statement on the Threat of Nuclear War” is not entirely wrong, but a more precise formulation would be:
BRICS Expresses Concern Over Growing Nuclear Risks and Conflicts.
BRICS Strongly Condemns the Pahalgam Terror Attack
From India's perspective, one of the most important developments was the inclusion of the April 22, 2025 Pahalgam terror attack in the BRICS declaration.
The New Delhi Declaration strongly condemned the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. The declaration emphasized zero tolerance toward terrorism and reiterated the need for action against those involved in terrorism and those who support it.
This is particularly significant for India because China is also a member of BRICS and has close strategic relations with Pakistan.
An Important Fact
Different figures have appeared in some reports regarding the number of people killed in the Pahalgam attack. However, the figure of 26 deaths in the April 22, 2025 attack is the figure prominently reported by the Indian government and major international reporting. Therefore, figures such as 16 or 25 should not be used without official confirmation.
BRICS Position on U.S. Tariffs and Trade Pressure
The BRICS declaration also expressed concern over rising tariffs, protectionism and non-tariff barriers in global trade.
The declaration emphasized the need for open and fair trade in accordance with WTO rules. Member countries expressed concern about trade measures that they believe could negatively affect global trade and supply chains.
However, there is another important factual distinction here.
It would not be accurate to describe the official BRICS declaration simply as a “statement against Donald Trump.”
Some reports have interpreted the declaration in the context of U.S. trade policy, but the language of the joint document is broader and focuses on trade restrictions, tariffs and unilateral economic measures.
Therefore, for factual reporting, it is better to write:
BRICS Raises Concerns Over Unilateral Tariffs and Trade Restrictions.
rather than:
BRICS Targets Trump.
Important for India-China Relations
The meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping was also an important part of the BRICS Summit.
The meeting is significant because India-China relations remained strained for years following the 2020 border dispute.
In 2026, discussions between the two leaders have indicated efforts toward normalizing relations. However, issues such as the border dispute, trade imbalance and strategic competition between the two countries still remain.
According to an AP report, Xi Jinping's visit to India is his first since 2019, and the Modi-Xi meeting has been viewed as part of cautious efforts to improve relations between the two countries.
Modi-Putin Meeting Also Covered Several Issues
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The two leaders discussed India-Russia relations as well as cooperation in areas such as trade, energy, defence, critical minerals and fertilizers. The broader context of the discussions also included the Russia-Ukraine war and the impact of the situation in West Asia on global trade and maritime routes.
India's consistent position has been that international disputes should be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy.
Meeting Between Iran and UAE Also Considered Significant
Another interesting diplomatic development at BRICS 2026 was the meeting between senior representatives of Iran and the UAE, despite differences in their regional interests on several issues.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and UAE Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan held a meeting amid ongoing tensions in West Asia.
The meeting is significant because regional security and Iran-related issues have remained sensitive matters between the two countries for years.
This also demonstrates that BRICS is no longer simply an economic cooperation platform; it is increasingly becoming an important venue for diplomatic engagement among countries with different interests.
Has BRICS Become an Anti-American Organization?
No.
It would not be factually correct to conclude that BRICS has now formally become an anti-American military or political alliance.
The interests of BRICS members differ considerably. India has strong strategic and economic relations with the United States. The UAE and several other BRICS members also maintain important relations with the U.S.
At the same time, Russia, China and Iran have significant strategic disagreements with Washington.
For this reason, BRICS statements often focus on multilateralism, sovereignty, dialogue, WTO reform, opposition to unilateral sanctions and greater participation of the Global South.
BRICS's Biggest Message: A Greater Role for the Global South
Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasized the need to reform the global governance system at the BRICS platform.
He stressed the need for improvements in representation, responsiveness and rule-making in the existing global system and argued that the Global South should have a greater role in shaping future global rules.
India has long advocated reforms in the United Nations Security Council and greater representation for developing countries.
Support for the aspirations of India and Brazil for a greater role in global institutions was also an important development in the New Delhi Declaration.
New Delhi Declaration 2026: The Most Important Document of the Summit
The New Delhi Declaration 2026 is the most important outcome document of the BRICS Summit.
It covers a wide range of global and economic issues. Major issues include:
- Action against terrorism
- Condemnation of the Pahalgam terror attack
- Concern over the conflict in West Asia
- Nuclear risks and security
- Dialogue and diplomacy
- Opposition to unilateral sanctions
- Concerns over tariffs and trade barriers
- Reform of the WTO system
- A greater role for the Global South
- Reform of multilateral institutions
- Protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure
The declaration was adopted by the member countries by consensus.
What Should We Understand Beyond the Pictures?
The images from BRICS 2026 show Modi, Putin and Xi Jinping walking together, participating in a tree-plantation programme, leaders posing for group photographs and meetings being held at Bharat Mandapam. However, the real significance of the summit goes far beyond these images.
The New Delhi Declaration demonstrates that BRICS members do not have identical positions on every issue, but they can still develop common language on several major global matters.
Concerns over the war in West Asia, calls for restraint and diplomacy, nuclear risks, action against terrorism, condemnation of the Pahalgam attack and concerns over trade tariffs are among the important issues associated with the summit.
At the same time, it would be premature to say that BRICS has created a new military or political alliance against any particular country. Instead, the 2026 summit can be viewed as a platform strengthening the discussion around a multipolar world order, greater participation of the Global South and reforms in global institutions.
For India, one of the major achievements is that New Delhi has played an important role in bringing countries with diverse interests together around a common declaration at a time when the war in West Asia, trade tensions and global security challenges are testing the unity of BRICS.
Fact-Check Conclusion
The basic events shown in the screenshots you provided are, to a large extent, based on real developments. However, some of the headlines need to be presented more precisely.
✅ Tree plantation involving Modi, Putin, Xi and other leaders — Verified
✅ BRICS New Delhi Declaration — Verified
✅ Condemnation of the Pahalgam terror attack — Verified
✅ Zero tolerance toward terrorism — Verified
✅ Concern over nuclear risks — Verified
✅ Concern over the Middle East/Iran conflict and call for restraint — Verified
⚠️ “BRICS directly condemned the United States” — Overly simplified; the declaration uses broader language
⚠️ “BRICS targeted Trump” — Not precise; the declaration broadly raises concerns over tariffs and trade restrictions
⚠️ “BRICS directly threatened Pakistan” — Not precise; the declaration condemns the Pahalgam attack and calls for action against terrorism
⚠️ Different figures regarding Pahalgam deaths in viral posts — The figure of 26 deaths corresponds with prominent official/reliable reporting.
Sources: India's Ministry of External Affairs, official BRICS 2026 documents/information, and cross-checking with reliable contemporary reports from Reuters, AP and other credible news organizations.
Disclaimer
This article has been prepared based on available official documents, government sources, and reliable news reports. Every effort has been made to ensure that the information presented is factual and verified. However, international developments can change rapidly, and new information may emerge over time.
The purpose of this article is solely to provide news and general information. It is not intended to promote or oppose any country, government, political party, or individual. Readers are advised not to consider any claim or viral post circulating on social media as the final truth and are encouraged to verify such information through relevant official sources and reliable news organizations.
Desh Vibe shall not be held responsible for any unverified, misleading, or social-media-circulated claims.
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