BRICS Summit in Russia: Putin's challenge to Western dominance
World leaders are arriving in Kazan, Russia, for the BRICS summit. Vladimir Putin sees the meeting as a key step in challenging the West's political and economic dominance.
7:43 PM EDT, October 22, 2024
According to the "Daily Mail" website, the BRICS summit, held from October 22 to 24, is the largest diplomatic event in Russia since the invasion of Ukraine more than two and a half years ago. Moscow attempts to demonstrate that Western efforts to isolate and punish it have been ineffective.
Among the participants are Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the President of Turkey — a NATO member. Even UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is attending, despite the International Criminal Court's warrant for Putin's arrest for war crimes.
Putin aims to discuss various topics, including the prospect of creating a new international payment network that would compete with the Western SWIFT system. However, the specter of war in Ukraine looms over the summit, and the Russian president will likely face pressure from BRICS partners and other participants to end the conflict.
The Kremlin views BRICS as a tool for geopolitical change. According to Russian propaganda, it aims to "build a bridge step by step to a more democratic and fair world order." Russia is seeking alternatives to the Western economic system, represented by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.
everyone has their own interests
However, BRICS members have different interests and internal disputes. As an economic powerhouse, China dominates the group, undermining Russia's position. India has tense relations with China due to border disputes and is strengthening ties with the USA. Additionally, including countries like Iran, the United Arab Emirates, or potentially Saudi Arabia may increase tensions within BRICS.
Despite these challenges, Russian officials emphasize that the summit demonstrates the Kremlin's enduring presence on the international stage and the failure of Western sanctions.
We believe that BRICS is a prototype of multipolarity, a structure uniting the Southern and Eastern hemispheres on the principles of sovereignty and respect for each other, said Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov, said Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov, as cited by the "Daily Mail".
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky rejects the summit as a forum for Russia to promote its narrative about the war.
Zelensky cautioned that if Putin succeeds in achieving his irrational objectives, it could signal to other potential aggressors that wars of invasion can be rewarding.
Western analysts note the growing significance of BRICS towards a multipolar world order but remain skeptical of Russia's attempts to use the group to bring about significant geopolitical changes. Callum Fraser from the RUSI think tank points out that BRICS members primarily follow their national interests and do not form a monolith.
