The Ukrainian president stated this in an interview with the Times of India.
He explained that the summit was a failure, as not all representatives of the organization were present, "even from the current composition": “We did not see many leaders that Russia relies on in BRICS.”
Specifically, Zelensky pointed out that Saudi Arabia was not represented at the highest level, which he believes indicates that there is "no unity" within BRICS due to Putin's policies regarding the war in Ukraine. According to the Ukrainian president, he wants to divide the world into the so-called West+ and BRICS+.
“Everyone understands that he (Putin — ed.) is a murderer, he is a terrorist, and right now this is simply a cheaper source of energy resources, which is why some countries are using it,” Zelensky stated.
Additionally, he claims that Brazilian President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva did not attend the summit, as Russia is unable to accept the China-Brazil proposal for a peaceful resolution to the war in Ukraine, which is based on Ukraine's territorial integrity.
“This is a slap in the face for China and Brazil,” the president added.
Previously, the Brazilian president canceled his trip to Russia for the BRICS summit, explaining it by a head injury after falling in the bathroom.
On May 23, the governments of Brazil and China signed an agreement to resolve the war between Russia and Ukraine, advocating for political negotiations to achieve peace, CNN Brasil reported. The countries also called for support from the international community.
In their plan, China and Brazil proposed not to expand the area of hostilities, to prevent escalation, and to refrain from aggravating the situation by either side.
Subsequently, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that its joint plan with Brazil was positively assessed by more than 110 countries.
At the same time, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky criticized this proposal from the two countries. He considers this idea to be a destructive political statement that was not consulted with Kyiv.
The summit, which took place from October 22-24 in Kazan, Russia, was attended by more than 20 world leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
In point 36 of the summit's final declaration, participants noted that all states must act in accordance with the goals and principles of the UN Charter. This point also mentioned Ukraine.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry stated that the summit in Kazan demonstrated that the global majority remains on Ukraine's side in its pursuit of establishing a just peace. Furthermore, Moscow's attempts to impose the notion of an allegedly alternative position of the so-called Global South regarding the war “have suffered another failure.”