The recent BRICS summit underscores the organization’s commitment to thrive despite its members having diverse ideologies, highlighting the group’s dedication to altering the unjust, unilateral world order.
Brazil’s Resistance Against Rising U.S. Pressure
The United States has announced numerous protectionist measures to counter the unprecedented rise of BRICS. It imposed strict tariffs on the member countries due to their commitment to replace the dollar with a new BRICS currency. Recently, US President Donald Trump has threatened the ‘un-American’ BRICS nations with 10 percent tariffs. All the member states have denounced “the rise of unjustified unilateral protectionist measures” and the “indiscriminate rising” of the US tariffs in a joint statement. South Africa’s leading negotiator, Ambassador Xolisa Mabhongo, stated that all the members held, “They (tariffs) are not good for the world economy. They are not good for development.”
India’s Diplomatic Balancing and Leadership Role
Despite the US protectionist policies and punitive measures against BRICS members, the group reaffirmed its commitment to strengthen multilateralism. India is the closest South Asian ally of the United States. However, Washington has betrayed it during the recent India-Pakistan war due to its leading role in BRICS and changing regional dynamics. New Delhi needs a strong alliance with the United States due to the rapidly changing regional and global landscape. Despite this, it adheres to its strong commitment to the BRICS agenda of multilateralism.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi assumed the BRICS presidency for the 2026 summit, underscoring India’s continued commitment to the bloc’s objectives. He also emphasized that the organization’s strength lies in its diversity and mutual commitment to the multipolar world order. India also proposed cooperation and collaboration among the member states in critical sectors, including digital education access and agriculture, through the establishment of the BRICS Science and Research Repository. It also asked the group to embrace a demand-driven policy to guarantee the long-term financial sustainability of the BRICS projects.
Russia, China, and the Expansion of a New Global Bloc
Russia and China, being the greatest powers in the world, play a pivotal role in the BRICS. The military, diplomatic, and financial power of these two states have played a critical role in the unprecedented rise and expansion of the organization. These two countries are the prime motivation for third-world countries to gain BRICS membership. Russia hosted the 2024 BRICS summit in Kazan. A separate category of BRICS partner states was established at the Kazan summit.
Russia also proposed the creation of a new BRICS investment platform, providing the member states an opportunity for mutual development. This idea also laid the foundation for a potential Global South and Global East cooperation and coordination. The Kazan summit led to numerous new suggestions and propositions. Moreover, Russia is set to host Intervision, a famous international television singing contest. Many performers from the BRICS member and partner states have shown their desire to participate in this contest. The actual motive behind this contest is to promote the shared cultural, spiritual, and family values of the member countries.
Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang also attended the Rio de Janeiro summit. Like other members, China also sought to expand cooperation among member states in various sectors such as green economy, digital economy, aerospace, and sci-tech innovation. China signaled its willingness to deepen both bilateral and multilateral cooperation with fellow BRICS members. The Chinese Premier also emphasized BRICS cooperation on other multilateral forums like the G20, Eurasia, the United Nations, the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, and the African Union.
The inclusion of Indonesia as the new member state and Bolivia, Belarus, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Nigeria, Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda, Vietnam, and Uzbekistan as the partner states suggests the increasing popularity and rapid expansion of the BRICS. It also shuns the Western propaganda against the organization. Moreover, it suggests that the Global South is ready to break the shackles of Western hegemony. A 126-point joint declaration signed at the close of the summit officially handed over the BRICS chairmanship to India, paving the way for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to host the 18th BRICS Summit. The document recognized the importance of mutual cooperation for promoting peace, security, and international stability, combating climate change, promoting sustainable development, ensuring social, human, and cultural development, cementing multilateralism and reforming global governance, and amplifying international trade, economic, and financial Cooperation. The success of the summit is seen as a serious challenge to U.S. hegemony and the prevailing unilateral world order.
Аbbas Hashemite – is a political observer and research analyst for regional and global geopolitical issues. He is currently working as an independent researcher and journalist
