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Chinese President Xi Jinping, in a speech on Wednesday, warned against "expanding" military ties. The speech came ahead of a virtual summit that included top leaders from Russia, India, Brazil, and South Africa. 

The BRICS summit, which is hosted in Beijing, holds BRICS countries' emerging economies, which make up almost 25% of the world's GDP and 40% of the planet's population. 

Read more: BRICS countries launch joint committee on space agency cooperation

China, India, and South Africa have refrained from voting on a UN resolution that condemns Russia's operation in Ukraine. 

Read more: South Africa never forgets: Why Cape Town won't support Ukraine

Xi said at the forum that the "Ukraine crisis is... a wake-up call," also warning against "expanding military alliances and seeking one's own security at the expense of other countries' security."

China and India enjoy strong military alliances with Russia and also buy large amounts of Russian oil and gas despite Western sanctions. 

Last week, Xi assured Russian President Vladimir Putin that Beijing will support Moscow's interests in "sovereignty and security." This move led Washington to warn China that it will end up "on the wrong side of history."

On Wednesday, Xi remarked that the US and European sanctions are a " boomerang" and a "double-edged sword."

Next week, G7 leaders will meet in Germany to discuss more sanctions on Russia. 

In parallel, China and India have been helping Russia curb the losses which came as a result of the Western sanctions on Russian oil exports, ramping up imports of crude oil - India, for instance, increased Russian oil imports by six times from March to May, in comparison with the same time frame last year. At the same time, China increased its imports by three times, according to data from Rystad Energy, a research firm. 

In May, China said at a meeting between BRICS foreign ministers that it wants more emerging economies to join the group.