BRICS summit concludes in Russia
The 16th BRICS Summit concludes today in Kazan, Russia.
This was the bloc’s first annual meeting since its expansion last year, with the participation of Egypt, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Ethiopia, reflecting BRICS’ growing influence in the international system.
The high level of attendance, including that of the UN Secretary-General, highlights Russia’s efforts to counter Western isolation and promote greater international collaboration and multilateralism from the Global South.
In the short term, BRICS is expected to focus on establishing the “partner country” category as Russia aligns its foreign policy to incorporate new members. While partner countries would not hold full BRICS membership, their long-term objective is to reduce Western predominance in the international system and access more trading blocs. Russia will likely continue leveraging the bloc and its expanding network to combat isolation and economic sanctions. However, in the mid-term, the group is expected to face significant internal divide, particularly regarding Russia’s ongoing war with Ukraine, due to differing perspectives on the conflict. Moreover, Brazil’s upcoming BRICS presidency in 2025 is expected to emphasize a more operational approach, which could lead to political stagnation if conflicting resolution is not addressed.
