RIO DE JANEIRO, July 7, 2025 — The BRICS summit in Brazil has spotlighted growing geopolitical fault lines as Russia pushes to turn the forum into a launchpad for its confrontation with the West. While originally envisioned as a platform for emerging economies, the group — comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — is being reshaped into a geopolitical counterweight to Western-led structures such as the G7.
This year’s 17th BRICS summit, held on July 6–7 in Rio de Janeiro under Brazil’s presidency, brought together leaders from the expanded bloc, which now includes Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates. The agenda featured global governance reform, peace and security, climate change, artificial intelligence, and global health — with an underlying emphasis on challenging Western dominance in international institutions.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, addressing the summit via video link, used the platform to project Moscow as a key player in shaping a “new international architecture” alongside Beijing. According to the summit’s official schedule, the Kremlin is increasingly positioning BRICS as a tool to escape isolation and reshape the global balance of power.
BRICS expands, but G7 retains economic edge
Despite its growing membership, BRICS still lags significantly behind the G7 in economic weight. The bloc’s core five economies account for over $28 trillion in nominal GDP, compared to more than $51 trillion for the G7. China alone makes up more than 60% of BRICS’ total economic output, underscoring the group’s internal imbalance and dependency on Beijing’s economic leadership.
Nonetheless, BRICS countries have ramped up economic integration — particularly with Russia. In a move to circumvent Western sanctions, more than 90% of Russia’s trade with BRICS members is now conducted in national currencies, reducing reliance on the dollar and euro.
Kremlin reshapes the agenda
Russia’s influence over the summit’s agenda has grown sharply. While Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva emphasized the importance of dialogue over the “Ukrainian conflict”, the Kremlin used the event to reinforce its narrative of resistance against what it portrays as a “colonial” Western order.
BRICS is increasingly positioned as an ideological alternative to the G7 — particularly attractive to Global South nations seeking to challenge traditional power hierarchies. Moscow has cast itself as a leader in this movement, with the bloc serving both as an economic lifeline and as a political megaphone.
European response: reinforce alliances and invest in competitiveness
The growing assertiveness of BRICS — and Russia’s efforts to co-opt it — presents strategic challenges for the European Union and its allies. Analysts warn that without a coordinated response, Western trade and governance norms could be eroded by alternative models promoted within the BRICS framework.
To counter this, Europe must deepen coordination with G7 partners, strengthen multilateral trade alliances, and invest in its own technological leadership. Without such measures, the EU risks being outpaced by the expanding influence of BRICS — especially in emerging markets where governance models are increasingly up for grabs.
As BRICS evolves from an economic forum into a geopolitical instrument, the stakes go far beyond trade. For Russia, the bloc is now a critical vehicle for international re-legitimization — and for shaping a new, less Western-centric global order.
