Brazil's president is trying to build solidarity across the BRICS club of major emerging nations, of which Brazil is a founding member along with Russia, China and India.

Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke to the leaders of China, India and three ex-Soviet states on Friday in a flurry of calls to brief them on his contacts with the United States about the war in Ukraine.

Days before Donald Trump’s August 15 meeting with Vladimir Putin, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made a direct appeal to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi — Russia’s close ally — for support.