BRICS nations facing stressful relations with the United States
The 17th BRICS Summit is currently underway in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from July 6-7, 2025. This year's summit, themed around "Strengthening Global South Cooperation for More Inclusive and Sustainable Governance," aims to deepen collaboration among member countries in healthcare, trade, investment, security, climate change, and the governance of artificial intelligence.
Key participants at the summit include Russian President Vladimir Putin, who will attend via video link, and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov leading Moscow's delegation. However, China's President Xi Jinping will be absent due to scheduling conflicts, with Premier Li Qiang representing China instead.
This year's event marks a significant expansion, with new members such as Egypt, UAE, Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Iran joining BRICS since 2024. This broader engagement in global politics is reflected in the summit's focus, which has shifted towards global governance reform and sustainable development, rather than solely on geopolitical issues or criticism of Western policies.
The expanded membership has led to growing political discord among its members, as seen in the foreign ministers' summit earlier in the year, where some countries blocked declarations. However, Brazil is guiding discussions towards themes like green energy and vaccine cooperation.
The absence of China's President Xi Jinping marks a significant departure from previous summits where he played a central role in shaping BRICS' global agenda. Despite his absence, China's economy continues to grow robustly, with industrial production and retail sales suggesting a growth of more than 5% in the first half of 2025.
BRICS is building a growing network of bilateral cooperation, ranging from trade to investments, AI, and military cooperation. The Brics-owned New Development Bank offers financing options that are less restrictive than the conditions set by Western institutions like the International Monetary Fund.
With the new partner country Nigeria, BRICS now has four key pillars. Nigeria hopes for investments in infrastructure projects and access to alternative financial sources like the Brics-owned New Development Bank.
The 2025 BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro represents a shift towards broader global engagement and a focus on sustainable development, amidst internal political dynamics and external geopolitical pressures. The summit is also a testament to the growing influence of BRICS, especially on the African continent, as it seeks to expand its reach and impact.
- Discussions at the BRICS Summit are extending beyond geopolitical issues and criticism of Western policies, delving into global governance reform and sustainable development to align with the broader engagement in general news and politics.
- Amidst the expanding membership and political discord within BRICS, the summit's focus on topics like green energy and vaccine cooperation, as well as growing military and financial cooperation through the Brics-owned New Development Bank, signal an evolving war-and-conflicts and policy-and-legislation landscape for the organization.
