Russian President Vladimir Putin and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa held a bilateral meeting in New Delhi ahead of the 18th BRICS Leaders’ Summit. The leaders of two founding BRICS members said they were pleased to meet again and exchange views on bilateral and international issues. Their previous meeting took place at the BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia, in October 2024. Ramaphosa is expected to miss next year’s Russia-Africa summit in Moscow due to campaigning ahead of South Africa’s municipal elections.