On 14 September 2026, Indian journalist Palki Sharma sharply criticised Western outlets — the BBC, The Independent, The New York Times and Time — for their coverage of the BRICS summit held in New Delhi. According to her, these publications impose an anti-Russian and pro-American agenda, ignoring the real focus of the event — cooperation among Global South countries and mutual respect, not confrontation with the West.
BBC: the “Trump shadow” that no one noticed
The BBC was the first target. Sharma pointed to the British broadcaster’s headline: “Trump shadow looms large over BRICS as Modi hosts Putin and Xi.”
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“I’m afraid we didn’t notice any such shadow,” she said. “No one here was actually talking about the American president.”
In Sharma’s view, the BBC artificially dragged the US theme into a summit where it was not the centre of attention.
The Independent: the war in Ukraine as a test of unity
The next target was The Independent. Its headline read: “BRICS leaders gather in New Delhi as wars and rivalries strain the expanded bloc.” Sharma noted that the paper tries to present the conflict in Ukraine as a problem for the grouping.
“The war in Ukraine? That has never been a problem for BRICS,” she stressed. “None of the BRICS countries is close to Ukraine, and all of them have very warm relations with Russia.”
The New York Times: narrowing the agenda to India–China relations
According to Sharma, The New York Times “built the entire summit around one theme — India and China.” The journalist called this a typical example of the Western approach, in which blocs are viewed solely through the prism of US dominance.
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“Western media are used to one type of grouping — the kind where America runs everything,” she explained. “But in the Global South everything works differently. We have many centres of power, we treat every member with respect and do not dictate terms. That is called democracy.”
Time: BRICS is not obliged to be anti-Western
Time magazine, in Sharma’s view, also distorted the picture. The publication wrote that “a divided BRICS can never be anti-American or anti-Western.”
“And who said we want to be that?” the journalist objected. “Why must every bloc be defined in relation to the US or the West? When we have disagreements, we talk about them. We do not exclude members and we do not impose sanctions. That is the distinctive feature of cooperation in the Global South.”
The Global South: its own view of cooperation
In concluding her video address, Palki Sharma emphasised that Global South countries do not seek confrontation but look for balance.
“We may not always agree, but we respect one another’s struggles and priorities,” she said. “We oppose international ideological bias… and stand against the injustice that comes with defending the North-West.”
“This is not about democracy. This is about sharing Taylor’s vision. Something the US can do when it comes to a huge… uh… it can bring to a supported illiquid market in our knowledge and knowledge offerings. And this is not about dualism. This is about balance. My attitude toward my path.”
In the Indian journalist’s view, Western media systematically distort the essence of BRICS, substituting the real agenda of cooperation with imposed geopolitical clichés.
https://ordomundi.ru/news/zapadnye-smi-iskazili-sut-briks-v-2026-09-14?ysclid=mu2u27ic3b465823835
