Amidst the ongoing turmoil in Afghanistan, Russia has been convening or partaking in unusually numerous multilateral forums. Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, aware of the strong emphasis by the Joseph Biden administration on reinvigorating the United States’ ties with allies and building a coalition of democracies, resorted to the old discourse of upholding a “multipolar system” of independent centers of influence. He addressed the virtual summit of BRICS, the 15 years old proto-organization that is supposed to bring together five such centers—Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa—but can barely bridge their disagreements. India, which presided over the proceedings, focused on the threat of terrorism emanating from Afghanistan; while China, due to convey next year’s summit, is inclined to do business with the government formed by the victorious Taliban.
Afghanistan
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Afghan people gather along a road as they wait to board a U.S. military aircraft to leave the country, at a military airport in Kabul on Aug. 20, 2021 days after Taliban's military takeover of Afghanistan.
