Putin urges UN Security Council expansion for Global South

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday called for expanding the UN Security Council to increase representation for countries from Asia, Africa and Latin America. Addressing the 18th BRICS summit in New Delhi, he said such reforms would bolster the UN's effectiveness while accusing Western powers of resisting the emerging multipolar order through colonial-era tactics.

Calls for UN and economic reform

Addressing fellow leaders in the Indian capital, Putin said Russia attaches great importance to preserving the UN's central role in global affairs. "Naturally, expanding the UN Security Council -- specifically by increasing representation for countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America -- would contribute to this goal," he said, according to a Kremlin transcript.

Putin also highlighted what he described as a "long-standing need" to reform global economic institutions including the International Monetary Fund, World Bank and World Trade Organization, arguing they struggle to adapt to current political and economic realities. He called for stronger BRICS coordination within these bodies, noting that the grouping possesses significant intellectual and technological capabilities.

Multipolar order faces Western resistance

Putin said BRICS had "rightfully established itself among the key centers of global governance," adding that international developments increasingly depend on the collective decisions of its members. "However, the formation of a multipolar world is not proceeding without difficulties -- we can all see this. It meets with resistance from those who are accustomed to thinking in fundamentally colonial terms -- dividing the world into a 'flourishing garden' and a 'wild jungle,' and living at the expense of others," he said, adding that such powers employ "tariff wars, sanctions and brute force" to contain competitors. The BRICS summit convened in New Delhi with leaders from Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa alongside recent member states.