The leaders of Russia and China have condemned sanctions imposed against Russia in separate video messages released at the opening of a virtual forum of five emerging economies, or BRICS.

BRICS comprises Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The group will hold a summit meeting on Thursday.

In his video message, Putin criticized the West for the sanctions imposed in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Putin held Western nations responsible for the ongoing food crisis, saying, "Problems with ensuring global food security are getting worse; prices for grain crops and other basic agricultural products are being inflated."

At the same time, he noted that there has been a noticeable increase in exports of Russian oil to China and India, and that his country has exported considerable amounts of fertilizer to all nations within the BRICS framework.

He said, "The Russian business community, in coordination with the business communities of the BRICS states, takes prompt steps to develop the transport infrastructure. Logistics routes are readjusted, new production chains are created."

Meanwhile, with the possible eastward expansion of NATO in mind, Chinese President Xi Jinping also criticized the West.

China's foreign ministry quoted Xi as saying countries will surely end up in security hardships if they place blind faith in their positions of strength, expand military alliances and seek their own safety at the expense of others.

He also warned that imposing sanctions could act as a boomerang and a double-edged sword.