Leaders and delegations of the BRICS countries are gathering in the South African city of Johannesburg for a three-day summit, the bloc’s first in-person meeting since the COVID-19 pandemic. At the forefront of the event's agenda is the consideration of expanding the membership of the group, which currently comprises Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. The summit officially began with a business forum on Tuesday, but the most notable aspect was the absence of Russian President Vladimir Putin due to an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court.