Of all the BRICS leaders, Russian President Vladimir Putin is perhaps most looking forward to this year’s summit, scheduled for October 22-24 in Kazan.
Last year, he skipped the summit in South Africa for fear of being arrested. In March 2023, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Putin for alleged war crimes committed during Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. South Africa, as a party to the Rome Statute, would have been obliged to arrest him if he had entered the country. So Putin had to settle for a virtual presence.
But this year’s BRICS summit will be an important moment for him, as he will not only be hosting the event on his home soil, but will also want to show the Western world that despite their sanctions against Russia and attempts to isolate him diplomatically, it still hosts some of the world’s most powerful leaders, such as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping. As host, Putin’s efforts will be to highlight Russia’s successful outreach to non-Western countries.
It is true that despite Western sanctions, Russia remains a core member of this dynamic group, which accounts for 24% of global nominal GDP and 41% of the world’s population. Despite attempts to isolate Russia since its invasion of Ukraine, Putin can also argue that Moscow remains a key player in reshaping the world order, drawing strength from its BRICS alliances. These links illustrate how countries outside the G7 are increasingly looking for alternatives to Western-dominated institutions such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank
BRICS is here to stay
BRICS, the economic and political alliance comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, has gained much prominence since its inception 15 years ago. Political analysts, economists and scholars in the West have long predicted his demise. For example, Eurasia Group, a political risk consultancy, questioned the relevance of BRICS in 2013, saying: “BRICS is a term that has lost its relevance… It is a grouping that does not have much coherence and it is not clear what are trying to achieve together.”
But it didn’t just endure, it expanded, defying initial Western skepticism. Its latest members are Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates. The bloc has attracted interest from nearly 40 other countries, including NATO member Turkey, which is now officially applying for membership. Indonesia has also been invited to join, but appears reluctant to join a group it considers anti-Western.
India needs to create its own playing field
For many years after the founding of the Indian National Congress in 1885, he remained a petitioner to the British Raj. The assertion of the right to self-determination was weak until Mahatma Gandhi arrived on the national landscape.
Today, India should not be seen as a candidate for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). The UN and UNSC, created after World War II, are relics of the 20th century. The global landscape has changed dramatically since then, with emerging economies such as India yearning to play a much more prominent role in global affairs.
As the world’s most populous country, fifth largest economy and a robust democracy to boot, Indians believe they should have a permanent voice in decision-making processes that affect global peace and security. But the US, often in cooperation with its Western allies, has considerable influence in the UN system, allowing it to influence its priorities and decision-making. The US is so powerful that it managed to limit the progress of the BRICS as well. For example, many Chinese banks have suspended transactions with Russia to avoid US sanctions, and the BRICS New Development Bank (NDB) has frozen its projects in Russia due to US sanctions.
The Indian government does not necessarily support dismantling the existing US-led world order. He argued that the system should be more inclusive; she wants what she believes are her rights in the existing system. He is pushing for reforms in global financial institutions, such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, which further underscores his desire for a more equitable distribution of power in the global system.
The West “protects” the existing order
The US, France and the UK, all three permanent members of the UN Security Council, have often openly supported India’s position on reforming international bodies. But it is not clear how genuine their intentions are. With the war raging in Ukraine, West Asia engulfed in violence, and the rise of China as their global rival, the US and its Western allies appear to have become more assertive to protect their dominance in the world order.
For India, the time for petitioning or expecting favors from the West without quid pro quo is over. India should use BRICS as a platform to amplify its voice in global governance. It should value BRICS as an advocacy platform for a multipolar world. This does not mean that New Delhi should allow the BRICS to become an openly anti-Western group. But he needs to use the platform to his advantage. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has often spoken of India’s ambition to be a leading voice in the Global South. Global bodies such as BRICS and the G20 provide the means to achieve such goals.
Why China has the upper hand
India benefits economically from the group, particularly through reduced imports of Russian energy amid Western sanctions. As a founding member of BRICS, India must realize that global forums such as BRICS and the G20 are credible products of a new, multipolar international order. If you don’t get your rightful place in the existing order, you help create a new, fairer order without separating yourself from the existing one. India’s growing engagement in BRICS and the G20 demonstrates its willingness to work within the existing global order while advocating for change
India needs to go a step ahead and be an agent of change. It must not allow China to control the BRICS agenda. But unfortunately, although India is a founding member, it does not exert as much direct influence as China, mostly due to the latter’s economic and geopolitical influence. Russia, despite the sanctions, remains a key BRICS player, especially because it sees the group as a way to counter Western influence. But India’s importance in the group is undeniable in some areas. For example, he brings confidence in the bloc because of his democratic qualities. It is an established global player in the IT sector and a huge market for investment.
What the West thinks about BRICS
Many in the West now seem to take BRICS quite seriously as a counterbalance to Western hegemony. But they suspect that the group’s inherent divisions could hinder its progress toward a genuine alternative to the Western-dominated world order. China and Russia are pushing for BRICS to become a decidedly anti-Western bloc. The recent inclusion of anti-Western Iran, at their behest, is a case in point. In fact, experts in the West believe that the alliance is looking for alternative centers of power, disillusioned with the dominance of the West.
Under President Xi Jinping, China is trying to create an alternative global financial and technological system to circumvent the dominance of the US dollar. Projects such as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the establishment of the New Development Bank (NDB), and efforts to internationalize the yuan are consistent with China’s goals of establishing an alternative multipolar world order.
On the other hand, India, South Africa and Brazil do not fully share China’s ambitions. They favor reforming the existing global system rather than dismantling it. They aspire to a multipolar world where they can balance the relationship between the US and China without fully aligning themselves with either.
The question of whether BRICS can maintain its cohesion amid internal divisions looms large over the Kazan summit. I will be watching closely how the summit manages the competing national interests of its members. But what can be said with confidence is that the group’s importance as a counterweight to Western power is undeniable.
(Syed Zubair Ahmed is a London-based senior Indian journalist with three decades of experience in Western media)
Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author
