Russia has overtaken both North Korea and Iran and now tops the list of the world's most sanctioned countries. This makes Putin increasingly dependent on his relatively few but powerful friends.
One example is Brazil, which has voted in favour of a UN resolution calling for a Russian withdrawal, but at the same time has not wanted to impose sanctions. President Lula Da Silva has also stated that both Zelenskyy and Putin are equally responsible for the war.
Russian fertilizer for export
In the first half of 2022, Russia doubled its exports to Brazil. It is mainly about fuel and fertilizers.
And since the EU's total ban on Russian oil came into effect in February 2023, Russian diesel exports to Brazil have reached record levels.
The diplomat: Can lead to crisis
In the SVT program Utrikesbyrån, Jan Eliasson, former top diplomat and foreign minister in Goran Persson's (S) government, explains how the support from the so-called BRICS countries can affect the world situation.
"If they back Russia on all counts, especially China, and if they start helping Russia militarily – then we have a big crisis," he said.
Who are the BRICS countries, and what motives do they have for keeping Putin's back? See the map that explains what the countries have to offer each other in the clip.