The BRICS summit in Russia will be the "the largest foreign policy event ever held" by Russia, Kremlin foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov has said. The summit with include 36 countries with over 20 represented by heads of state.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping discussed the war in Ukraine and relations with the West at length on the first day of the BRICS summit, the Kremlin said on Tuesday.

The 2024 BRICS Summit will commence today in Kazan, Russia, in one of the preeminent policy meetings in the world. The summit is expected to focus on a variety of strategies to increase the intergovernmental organization’s influence and maximize economic efficiency so that it can continue to compete against the economies of Western nations.