INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Russian President Vladimir Putin will take part in a virtual summit of the BRICS group of nations on Tuesday to discuss the Israel-Hamas
war, the Kremlin said.The meeting will be chaired by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in the hope of drawing up a common response to
the more than six-week conflict."On Nov
21, Russian President Vladimir Putin will participate in an extraordinary BRICS summit (via videoconference) to discuss the
Palestinian-Israeli conflict," the Kremlin said, without providing further details.In addition to Russia, the BRICS group includes Brazil,
India, China and South Africa.South Africa said United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres would also take part in the virtual
meeting, and that it was expected to end with a joint statement.Russia has maintained historically close ties with both Israel and the
Palestinians, and Putin has said Russia could play a mediating role.He has criticized the West for allegedly stoking tensions in the region
and Israel for its conduct in the conflict.The meeting comes days after leaders from the APEC group, which includes China and the United
States, failed to agree on a joint response to the war.
