Two dozen world leaders are gathering in Russia for the BRICS summit, the biggest such meeting in Russia since it ordered troops into Ukraine. The Kremlin hopes the summit will challenge Western 'hegemony' and demonstrate that attempts to isolate Moscow have failed. The main issues on the agenda include Putin's idea for a BRICS-led payment system to rival SWIFT and the escalating conflict in the Middle East. The Kremlin wants to show an 'alternative to Western pressure' and shift power away from the West to other regions.