Politics
The BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro symbolizes a geopolitical shift away from the West
In the heart of Rio de Janeiro, the 17th BRICS summit propels the Global South to the forefront of the international stage and challenges Western supremacy in an era marked by hybrid conflicts and a major geopolitical reconfiguration.
In the Middle East, the US-Israeli alliance is faltering in the face of Iranian resistance, while proxy wars persist in Yemen and Lebanon. In Africa, the Sahel, Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo are the scene of violence exacerbated by geopolitical rivalries. In Asia, the South China Sea, the Indo-Pacific, and Myanmar are all zones of hybrid tensions. In Latin America, organized and internalized crime in Mexico and Colombia is fueling instability. The BRICS summit, representing an alliance of nearly half the world’s population, is advocating dedollarization and marginalizing NATO, strengthening the autonomy of the Global South in the face of these crises.
Putin’s iconic speech and the summit’s final declaration
The highlights of the concluding statement from Rio, along with the main points of the Russian President’s address delivered via videoconference during the plenary session, are as follows: BRICS leaders unanimously condemned the terrorist attacks targeting bridge and railway infrastructure in the Bryansk, Kursk, and Voronezh regions. They expressed hope for a settlement of the Ukrainian conflict. They also condemned the Israeli and American offensives against Iran and its nuclear facilities, while expressing concern about the escalation of tensions towards a nuclear conflict. A call was made for the continuation of armistice talks in Gaza, and the view that Gaza and the West Bank should form a unified state was shared. They advocated for Syrian territorial integrity, welcoming the lifting of sanctions, and called for the abolition of unilateral sanctions and reform of the WTO. Opposition to the proliferation of a space arms race was affirmed, proposing the adoption of an ad hoc document. They defended the creation of a secure and stable digital space, and reiterated their commitment to combating terrorism in all its forms.
Although Vladimir Putin did not attend the summit in person, he made his presence felt at the key plenary session of the 17th BRICS Summit via videoconference. His signature speech, which echoed the content of the Alliance’s previous summit in Kazan in 2024, addressed the complexity of the current geopolitical situation and the changing global order, compared the BRICS economies to those of the G7, highlighted the close cooperation within the bloc, and shared notable achievements and new missions for the Alliance.
The President first highlighted the deepening of collaboration between the BRICS member countries in key sectors such as politics, security, economy, finance, and cultural and humanitarian exchanges. In his speech, Putin stated: “We all see that fundamental changes are taking place in the world. The unipolar system of international relations, which served the interests of the golden billion, is disappearing. It is being replaced by a more just, multipolar world. The process of transforming the global economic order continues to accelerate”, he said. He added that everything points to the conclusion that the liberal globalization model is running out of steam and that the epicenter of economic activity is shifting to emerging markets. This is generating a significant wave of growth, particularly within the BRICS countries. To fully capitalize on these emerging opportunities, it is essential to intensify intra-association cooperation, the president concluded.
The rise of the BRICS and the marginalization of the collective West
Under the Brazilian presidency, the BRICS summit of July 6-7, 2025, in Rio de Janeiro symbolizes the irrefutable rise of the Global South and the loss of influence of the West. The BRICS, expanded to eleven nations and nine partners, represent nearly half of the world’s population, contributing approximately 40% of global GDP (G7 less than 29%) and more than 50% of global economic growth, surpassing the G7 in purchasing power parity. Their agenda, focused on global governance reform and economic integration through initiatives such as the New Development Bank and the cross-border payment system, aims to get rid of the monetary Nazism of the US dollar, unanimously perceived as a tool of Western domination. It is in this logic that Brazilian President Lula called for an upgrade, declaring: “BRICS countries hold 84% of the world’s rare earths, 65% of manganese, and 63% of graphite”. Despite the absence of Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin, the alliance’s expansion momentum remains, with many countries applying for membership. This summit comes at a time when the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum has already eclipsed the G7, signaling a shift in the geopolitical center of gravity to the South.
In short, meeting yesterday and today at the summit in Rio, the BRICS are confirming the irresistible rise of the Global South and relegating the West to a defensive posture in a multipolar world order redefined by hybrid conflicts.
Mohamed Lamine KABA, Expert in Geopolitics of Governance and Regional Integration, Institute of Governance, Humanities and Social Sciences, Pan-African University
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