Putin hosts world leaders at Brics summit, indicating he's far from isolated

President Vladimir Putin is playing host to Russia's biggest gathering of world leaders since the invasion of Ukraine and using the Brics summit to show the US and its allies that he's no pariah.

With Russian troops advancing in eastern Ukraine and evidence of growing war fatigue among some of Kyiv's allies, the Kremlin is seizing its opportunity to cast Putin as standing up to the West in attempting to reshape the global order. The US and its Group of Seven partners dismiss the argument, though it's a message that resonates with some countries of the emerging world.

Leaders of 32 countries, as well as top officials of regional organisations and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, will attend the three-day summit starting Tuesday in Kazan, Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters. Chinese President Xi Jinping, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa are joining Putin alongside leaders of the new Brics members, Iran, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Ethiopia. Putin plans bilateral meetings with many of them, as well as with guests such as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Sunday cancelled his plans to attend the summit after suffering a head injury in an accident at his home. Officials said he'll participate by video link.