Leaders from Russia and Iran were in India for talks on Friday, ahead of a BRICS summit dominated by conflict and economic challenges, which Chinese President Xi Jinping will also attend. Wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, as well as global trade turbulence and oil are expected on the agenda at the two-day annual summit that opens on Saturday, when Xi is set to arrive.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. It will be Xi’s first visit to India since 2019, and marks the biggest step yet in a cautious thaw between the rival neighbours, six years after a deadly military clash along their disputed Tibetan border. Ties between the nuclear-armed Asian giants have been warming again, with flights, visas and high-level contacts gradually being restored. “China stands ready to work with India... by strengthening communication, enhancing cooperation, and properly handling differences,” Beijing’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said Friday. Deep mistrust remains, with their contested Himalayan frontier, a widening trade deficit and strategic rivalry still complicating ties. Dozens of Tibetans protested in New Delhi on Friday -- exiles, like their Buddhist leader the Dalai Lama, who has lived in India since fleeing a Chinese crackdown in 1959 -- waving placards against Xi’s visit. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is due to hold talks on Friday with President Vladimir Putin, who last visited India in December 2025. Moscow is one of New Delhi’s most important strategic partners.