Dilma Rousseff and Vladimir Putin meet for preparatory meeting for BRICS summit

Former President of Brazil, a close ally to Lula da Silva, and current chair of the New Development Bank (NDB), also called BRICS Bank, Dilma Rousseff, is set to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin on July 26.

The meeting takes place in St. Petersburg, Russia, amid the Russia-Africa summit, as a part of the prelude to the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) economic bloc’s summit in August.

This interaction has garnered significant attention, sparking discussions amongst analysts regarding potential implications.

Some consider it a strategy by Putin to alleviate Western sanctions linked to the Ukraine conflict.

However, the NDB dismissed the possibility of discussing new projects in Russia during the meeting.

Rousseff will engage in bilateral discussions with Putin and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to understand both countries’ perspectives on the NDB’s role in the forthcoming BRICS Summit.

The Russian government anticipates the summit will yield numerous agreements spanning trade, economy, investment, science, technology, culture, and humanitarian spheres.

Discussions are also set to continue on the African Peace Initiative’s role in resolving the Ukrainian situation, launched earlier in St. Petersburg.

Information on discussions pertaining to Russia’s adherence to the Ukrainian grain export agreement remains undisclosed.