Putin’s attempt to manipulate BRICS members at the summit exemplifies his disinformation playbook, aimed at reshaping the narrative to secure geopolitical and economic backing for Russia’s war against Ukraine. By presenting himself as a defender of a “multipolar world,” Putin tries to cloak his imperial ambitions in anti-Western rhetoric, framing the conflict as part of a broader struggle against Western hegemony. This false narrative strategically appeals to BRICS members’ historical grievances and desires for economic sovereignty, exploiting their frustrations with Western economic dominance to elicit sympathy, or at least neutrality, toward Russia’s actions in Ukraine.
Putin will likely use the summit to negotiate trade mechanisms that bypass Western sanctions, attempting to leverage the BRICS economic bloc’s collective weight to support Russia’s war effort. He aims to secure critical imports of sanctioned goods, including technology and weapons components, while promoting ruble-based trade to undermine the dollar’s dominance. By promising economic opportunities or favorable energy deals, Putin attempts to bind BRICS economies closer to Russia’s orbit, despite their members’ varying degrees of support or disinterest in the Ukraine war.
The presence of UN Secretary-General António Guterres at the BRICS summit, combined with his absence at Ukraine’s Global Peace Summit, offers Putin another propaganda win. It allows him to subtly suggest UN complicity or indifference toward Russia’s aggression, reinforcing his narrative of global apathy toward Ukraine. This episode underscores a troubling gap in international leadership and moral clarity, as Guterres’s attendance risks normalizing Russia’s position despite its blatant violations of international law.
Putin’s calculated use of the BRICS platform as a vehicle for his disinformation campaign demonstrates his reliance on distortion, opportunism, and coercion. He seeks to portray Russia as a legitimate global leader rallying non-Western nations in a righteous struggle, rather than an aggressor isolated by the international community. This deceitful strategy attempts to rally BRICS countries not only to counterbalance Western influence but also to implicitly support his war efforts. By manipulating economic interests and stoking anti-Western sentiment, Putin aims to obscure the true nature of the conflict, positioning himself as a partner rather than a pariah, despite the reality of his expansionist and destructive agenda in Ukraine.
We See What Others Cannot
