Putin says more than 30 countries want to join BRICS ahead of talks with Erdogan

World leaders are gathering in Russia on Wednesday for the second day of the largest diplomatic forum held by the country since it began its invasion of Ukraine in early 2022. President Vladimir Putin told a meeting of the BRICS group that more than 30 countries have expressed a desire to join the bloc, ahead of scheduled talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey.