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What the world press says about the BRICS summit?
To objectively assess the results of the recent 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan, it is best to look at the reaction of the Western press, which largely reflects the prevailing attitudes toward this event and this structure in the West.
It’s already noteworthy that major Western media outlets have provided extensive coverage of the BRICS summit and the arrival in Kazan of leaders from 36 countries, some of which are not members of the organization but are interested in it. This in itself speaks to the importance of the summit. Russia’s hosting of such a large-scale event has become a concrete proof of the failure of attempts at isolation and the growth of its authority on the world stage. Many Western writers and experts agree on this point. However, some biased, pro-Ukrainian journalists and experts are trying to downplay the significance and content of the summit. There are also attempts to ridicule BRICS as an allegedly amorphous structure, noting the slow pace of integration within the organization and the lack of progress in creating its own financial and economic mechanisms that would undermine the dollar’s role as a payment currency.
The Washington Post calls the summit «the biggest geopolitical event Russia has organized in two and a half years» and a «moment of glory» for the Russian leader. «Putin is using the summit to cast himself as a champion of the developing world», the paper notes. Experts interviewed by WP pointed out that the BRICS summit, with such a lineup of participants, is an obvious symbolic victory for Putin, strengthening Russia’s position as a leader among the global majority. Many Western journalists agree that after its expansion, BRICS has become a powerful structure uniting countries that make up “almost half of the world’s population».
AP points out directly that «leaders or representatives from 36 countries attended the three-day summit in Kazan, underscoring the failure of U.S. efforts to isolate Russia over its actions in Ukraine».
According to Reuters, the summit produced several diplomatic victories and helped dispel the notion of Russia as an outcast. Although Kazan cannot be compared to Bretton Woods, where the dollar-based order was established, the BRICS talks demonstrated dissatisfaction with the current system, which is failing to achieve its goals. The BRICS structures cannot yet compete with the International Monetary Fund or challenge the US dollar. But the first summit with new members showed the growing influence of those who want to create a system that better suits their interests. Many observers also point out that the BRICS+ represent about 45% of the world’s population and about 35% of global GDP, which the West cannot ignore.
It is fair to note that the majority of these figures are largely due to China and India — the most populous countries on the planet. In terms of GDP, China’s $18.5 trillion is dominant, five times that of India and nearly ten times that of Russia.
However, unlike Western alliances, in which countries dominate according to their economic and military power (primarily the U.S.), BRICS is based on taking into account the opinions of all members, regardless of their statistical contributions. The Kazan summit demonstrated this once again.
Interestingly, this arrangement suits the potential hegemon — China. Moreover, China, like most member countries, views BRICS as a dialogue platform for discussion and coordination, not as a «military barracks». BRICS fits well into its concept of a «community of shared destiny for mankind», the core of which is mutually beneficial cooperation and common development. It is no coincidence that BRICS served as the platform for the first talks in nearly five years between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Modi.
Regarding alternative financial mechanisms, Hong Kong’s SCMP correctly notes Vladimir Putin’s statement that BRICS countries are not trying to create an alternative to the SWIFT banking system. A joint statement by the Russian leader and BRICS participants reflects recognition of the benefits of a more transparent cross-border payment system. However, this system has political disruptions with regard to the so-called sanctioned countries, prompting them to seek alternatives. It is unfortunate that no major progress in this direction was announced at the summit, although there were indirect indications that work in this area is ongoing. Perhaps it’s just not the right time to talk about it publicly, or perhaps it doesn’t make sense in the current circumstances.
On the other hand, the statements made at the summit and the final documents indicate that BRICS does not seek to overthrow the global financial and trade system, but rather to modernize it in accordance with the economic and political weight of developing countries. Some leaders directly stated that they had no intention of making trouble for the West. In particular, radical anti-Western sentiments are not supported by the largest BRICS members — China and India.
Here’s what the Chinese newspaper China Daily wrote on the subject: «The BRICS summit may give the impression that the association serves as a counterweight to the US-led world order. But as the summit’s final communique shows, the BRICS countries want reform, not the overthrow of the global system. Despite Western rhetoric about Chinese and Russian leaders seeking to challenge the world order, their vision for a fairer global order does not imply confrontation. The essence of BRICS is to provide developing countries with more opportunities to participate in global governance, not to unite them in an effort to overthrow the current world order and create an entirely new one». According to Xi Jinping, «the goal of BRICS is to unite the global South for common prosperity and security, not to create a tool for bloc confrontation».
This is China’s vision. However, Russia finds itself in a different situation, specifically in this «bloc confrontation», which cannot be ignored. That is why, at the Kazan summit, the Russian president proposed the creation of several BRICS platforms. The first platform — investment — is aimed at supporting national economies and financing the global South and East. The second platform — grain — is aimed at ensuring the food security of the BRICS countries and may develop over time into a BRICS commodity exchange. Another platform is for trading in precious metals and diamonds. It is not difficult to guess that all these are alternatives to markets where trade is conducted according to Western rules.
And these proposals will be discussed and perhaps even begin to be implemented during Brazil’s chairmanship, as well as at the next BRICS summit to be held in Brazil.