The BRICS summit held in Kazan, Russia on October 22-24 was met with great fanfare in Russian propaganda, which was praised for its “epochal” importance.
Vladimir Putin at a press conference at the 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia in October 2024. Photo: Sefa Karacan/Anadolu via Getty Images
The bloc originally consisted of four members in 2009, including Brazil, Russia, India and China; Five in 2011 with the accession of South Africa, expanded to the current nine with the accession of Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates in 2023, with several applications pending. While the annual meeting itself is not insignificant, it is hard to compare to the decision-making work of the leading democracies of the Group of Seven (G7), which admitted Russia in 1998 and expelled it in 2014.InsiderOctober 22). Regardless of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s attempts to portray himself as a champion of Western oppression, his aggression against Ukraine has tarnished his position.
New members – complications
As the Moscow commentators voiced, the main achievement of the summit was to demonstrate that Russia is not and cannot be isolated in the international arena (MedusaOctober 24). Recent additions serve this purpose as well, and while new member registration has been a focus, it hasn’t been without complications (Carnegie PolicyOctober 25).
Among other major regional powers, Indonesia and Saudi Arabia delayed their decisions to join BRICS, Argentina declined an invitation, and Nigeria was never invited. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva found a medical reason to miss the summit, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić had more demanding speeches in his work schedule, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who was invited as an honored guest, was distracted during the visit for a long time. Due to the terrorist attack in Ankara, bilateral talks with Putin were postponed (Rossiiskaya gazetaOctober 23; Republic.ruOctober 25).
Anti-Western character of BRICS
These minor setbacks compounded the major failure of Putin’s message to emphasize the anti-Western nature of the BRICS (see EDMOctober 21; The Moscow TimesOctober 26). While China often tends to use anti-American discourse, India opposes it, and new members such as Egypt and the United Arab Emirates prefer a more balanced and less confrontational stance (Novaya newspaper EuropeOctober 24). For several weeks, Russian propaganda has portrayed the upcoming summit as the culmination of resentment against Western neo-colonial rule in “the majority of the world,” but examinations of the final declaration approved in Kazan show no sign of this imaginary revolt (see EDMOctober 21; RIACOctober 25). Moscow experts are now preparing to argue that the diversity of opinions and aspirations among BRICS member states and potential invitees is more a sign of the group’s strength than its incoherence (Rossiiskaya gazetaOctober 25; IzvestiaOctober 26).
New payment system
Moscow’s practical proposal for the Kazan summit was the creation of a new payment system called the “BRICS Bridge” independent of Western-controlled financial institutions (Forbes.ruOctober 23; Re: RussiaOctober 26). Many emerging economies suffer from dependence on US dollar-denominated transactions, and China is eager to increase circulation of its currency for trade payments. Nevertheless, none of the major economic actors gathered in Kazan were ready to declare their acceptance of a new alternative to the SWIFT system, an international payment service that has been disrupted since the start of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.Novaya newspaper EuropeOctober 26). Moscow’s desire to open new channels to circumvent Western sanctions is transparent, and the statement expressed mild disapproval of the punishment in question. However, each BRICS state is determined to secure its own economic interests first (Independent newspaperOctober 24). The apparent weakness of the financial system, demonstrated by the Central Bank’s decision to raise interest rates again to a record high of 21 percent, undermines calls for Russia to move away from the US dollar.RBCOctober 26).
Security profile of BRICS
Moscow is also interested in boosting the security profile of BRICS, but this ambition is similarly mired in conflicting interests (RIACOctober 23). Nowhere was this divide more evident than in the Middle East, where every senior speaker at the Kazan summit felt obliged to explain the situation at length, but the final declaration merely expressed concern in a cautiously neutral manner (TASSOctober 23). Iran sought and failed to produce stronger statements, and President Masoud Pezeshkian found little solidarity over the Israeli airstrike immediately after his return from Kazan.IzvestiaOctober 26). The previously announced strategic partnership agreement between Russia and Iran has not been signed, despite the Russian Foreign Ministry expressing concern about an “uncontrollable spiral of escalation” (RBCOctober 26; RAPSIOctober 23).
Bring down the war in Ukraine
Meanwhile, Moscow has decided to scale back its war in Ukraine, and the declaration stated it as succinctly as possible (The Moscow TimesOctober 23). Kiev has refrained from attempting another spectacular drone strike on an arsenal or oil refinery in Russia, and Putin interpreted its choice not to disrupt the big event as an acknowledgment of Western warnings that Ukraine would not allow strikes on Russian territory. Long-range missiles such as SCALP/Storm Shadow (RIA NovostiOctober 27). Overshadowing the lavish proceedings at the summit, the development story is Russia’s “import” of thousands of troops from North Korea. Putin chose not to deny the arrival of North Korean troops to Russian troops, alarming China and even angering his closest ally, Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko.Svoboda.orgOctober 24; NV.uaOctober 23).
It is hardly a surprise that the BRICS grouping has failed to meaningfully address its most demanding security crises and economic challenges. The more states from Africa, Latin America, Southeast Asia and the Middle East gather around the negotiating table – this time set by Russia – the wider the scope of existing disagreements, preventing any common position.
Multipolarity, which Moscow is keen to proclaim, is a key feature of interactions in the Global South, as opposed to unity of purpose in the West. This unity can never be taken for granted, but Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, which has caused anxiety and confusion in much of the world, has prompted the West to reform the coalition that defends the foundations of the world order. This new solidarity has been and will continue to be tested over the course of the protracted war, but Ukraine’s resilience and courage continue to create centrifugal momentum.
