The adoption of a declaration on 23 October , the second day of the BRICS summit in Kazan, Republic of Tatarstan, showed that Russia has not yet secured international support, nor has it created the alternative security structure that the Kremlin desires. The Kazan Declaration specifically mentions the war in Ukraine only once.
This is stated in the daily bulletin of the "Institute for the Study of War" (ISW).
The declaration says that all signatories must act in accordance with the principles of the UN Charter — including the provision respecting territorial integrity. It is noted that the BRICS countries welcome "relevant" mediation proposals aimed at securing a peaceful settlement of the war through dialogue and diplomacy. Ukraine emphasized that "the principles of the UN Charter" are a major path through which peace and the illegality of Russia's war under international law can be achieved.
Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said the declaration showed that Russia had failed to "export" his views on changing the world order and global security architecture to the countries participating in the BRICS meeting.
The BRICS countries are not united on Russia's war, probably because many of these countries support the principles of the UN Charter. The Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine similarly assessed that the BRICS summit would not lead to the international community's approval of an alternative system of international settlements that Russia wants. India, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Brazil and South Africa have opposed the transformation of the BRICS into an anti-American coalition.
Chinese President Xi Jinping reiterated a long-standing position calling for de-escalation in the war and discouraging third-party involvement in the war. Amid reports that Russia is preparing to deploy North Korean troops to Ukraine. China, Brazil and the countries of the Global South have created a group "Friends of Peace" which aims to unite voices in support of a peaceful resolution of Russia's war in Ukraine.
Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian reiterated Iran's intentions to strengthen ties with Russia and China at the BRICS summit. Pezeshkian met with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to discuss Russian-Iranian economic and strategic relations on the sidelines of the meeting. The two will soon finalize and sign memorandums of understanding that the two countries will sign the new comprehensive strategic partnership agreement. Putin authorized the signing of the deal on September 18.
It is in Iran's interest to have a formal agreement with Russia. Iran is expected to seek greater international support as Israel's ground and air offensives in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon have disrupted some elements of Iran's proxy network. This discontinuity is particularly noticeable given that the capabilities of "Hezbollah" - which now appear at least exacerbated by Israel's actions - have long served as Iran's primary deterrent against Israeli attack.
The policy of the Pezeshkian administration continues the "neighborhood policy" of former President Ebrahim Raisi. This policy is focused on mitigating the impact of international sanctions and supporting the Iranian economy. Russian-Iranian cooperation has accelerated since the beginning of the war in Ukraine due to Iran's military support.
The Pentagon and the White House have confirmed the deployment of North Korean troops in Russia. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on October 23 that the US government has evidence that there are North Korean troops in Russia, but that it is not clear what they are doing.
National Security Council spokesman John Kirby also said on Oct. 23 that North Korea had deployed at least 3,000 personnel to Vladivostok, Primorsky Krai between early and mid-October, but it was unclear whether those forces would go into combat. along with Russian forces.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on October 22 that potentially two "brigades" of 6,000 North Korean employees each trained in Russia.
South Korea's Yonhap News Agency reported on October 23 that the National Intelligence Service said during a closed session of the parliamentary intelligence committee that North Korea has so far sent 3,000 troops to Russia to support Russia's war in Ukraine and will send a total of 10,000 by December 2024
Yonhap news agency also reported that North Korean munitions factories that produce weapons that North Korea has sent to Russia are operating at "full capacity".
ISW will take a closer look at developments in relations between Russia and North Korea in an upcoming special issue.
Russia and Belarus announced plans to conduct a command and staff exercise "Zapad-2025" on an unspecified date in 2025, amid the deepening of Russian-Belarusian security integration within the Union State. The Minister of Defense of Russia Andrei Belousov and the Minister of Defense of Belarus Lieutenant General Viktor Grenin approved the plan for the "Zapad-2025" exercise. on October 23 during Belousov's visit to Minsk.
Grenin announced that the general staffs of Russia and Belarus have already started preparations for the "Zapad-2025" exercise. and stated that these exercises will help improve the combat readiness of the regional force grouping and the ability of Russian and Belarusian forces to jointly carry out their tasks.
Belousov noted that Russian and Belarusian forces will practice tasks that take into account "modern threats to Russia and Belarus", including the experience of the war in Ukraine.
Belousov and Grenin also approved the Working Plan for Military Security of the Union State for 2025 and 2027, emphasized the continuation of Russian-Belarusian cooperation in the military-technical sphere and reiterated that Moscow and Minsk are completing preparations for a new security concept in within the framework of the union state.