BRICS: ‘Non-Western’ and not ‘Anti-Western’ Association Boasts South-South Cooperation Beyond Summit Dialogue -By Kestér Kenn Klomegâh

For the past few years, United States global dominance has been of much concern for BRICS group (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa). BRICS has benefited greatly from its expansion, and boasts nearly half of the world’s population. In addition, it boasts of huge natural resources and substantial human capital. Their aggregate Gross Domestic Product (GDP) makes up about 40 percent of global GDP in terms of purchasing power parity, more than that of the Group of Seven (G7).

As well-known resonating facts, BRICS has many supporters in the Global South and East, and doubtlessly commands global authority and its influence continues growing. Considering this, it stands to reason that BRICS continuous engagement of anti-Western rhetoric and anti-American position endanger building multipolar. At this critical time, the world is experiencing tectonic shifts that BRICS has to address economic development rather than trading geopolitical rhetoric. BRICS must stop its frequent criticisms and move into concrete actions, undertake investments broadly in the sphere of economic development. Furthermore, it is important to intensify cooperation, design useful initiatives and pursue an economic development model distinctively different from the Western ones it described as becoming obsolete in this modern world.

Notwithstanding the underlying differences in approach towards changing geopolitical developments and complexities of economic connectivity, the group has uniquely emerged as a geopolitical player and has tremendous tasks to change, most essentially, the economic architecture. Some say the New Development Bank (NDB) is set to embark on its second golden decade of high-quality development, and strategic modernization in the Global South. The New Development Bank (NDB) is another instrument, not just for symbolism or as a decorative piece, but for transforming the economy of developing countries and the large proportion of their population still live in abject poverty. Geopolitical criticisms and rhetoric will never build a new better society. BRICS must better Act and show trickling Results!

Official NDB documents indicated that “it has to mobilize resources, foster innovation, and support impactful projects that advance sustainable development, reduce inequality, and promote infrastructure investments and economic integration.” Therefore in this situation, anti-Western rhetoric should be considered the worst ingredient for building multipolar world. The expected multipolar world necessarily requires effective and noticeable actions, and of course, to gain constructive results aim at raising basic living standards for the people.

During July BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) summit held in Rio de Janeiro, United States President Donald Trump threatened to impose trade tariffs, and that position changed the anti-Western and anti-United States language of participating leaders and official speakers. BRICS, in the first instance, admitted and insisted to accept that the informal association or group is “anti-United States” and “anti-Western” in the context of the current geopolitical rivalry and competition.

Since its inception, BRICS pursues the task of creating a ‘multipolar world’ and offers guidelines for global governance and prioritizes economic growth while gravitating the development of markets in the Global South. The enlarged bloc is now characterized by emerging potential opportunities but deepening frictions. BRICS is increasingly experiencing complexities based on their individual priorities and geopolitical orientations.

BRICS further claimed it was completely not against the dollar, the United States currency widely used in the world. These implies that BRICS members are allowed, without any restrictions, to operate with the United States. In this context and to a large degree, Donald Trump used tariffs to control BRICS that boasted of de-dollarizing and isolating the United States. In Washington, Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, accused the BRICS association of “seeking to undermine the interests of the United States” and further expressed disappointment in her speech at the media briefing.

Noticeably, BRICS has made as its priority to create a multipolar world, and reduce United States global dominance. BRICS can only realize its dominance by investing world-wide, anything short of this remains illusive and a dream. Russia and India are noticeably renegotiating for trade deals with United States. Russia seeks to re-instate and normalize bilateral relations with United States.

Far ahead of BRICS summit, President Vladimir Putin signed series of decrees that stipulate conditions, under which foreigners can make investments in Russia without consideration of counter-sanction decrees of 2022 and 2023. In the past several months, Russia has taken steps to streamline relations, prioritizing to re-establish and/or normalize economic ties with United States.

CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and Special Presidential Representative for Investment and Economic Cooperation with Foreign Countries, Kirill Dmitriev, now oversees all aspects of American business return to the Russian Federation. The resetting process of the US-Russia relationship requires creating the bilateral commission to explore a whole range of new opportunities, including economic partnerships that guarantees employment and opportunities for both peoples.

Interesting to note in this discussion that Russia has more than 1.2 million of its citizens living in the United States, there are an estimated 15,000 Americans resident in the Russian Federation. In practical terms, the United States symbolizes an interactive and a multipolar country than anywhere else or any country in the world.

Joining the changing chorus, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said: “It is really disappointing that when there is such a very positive collective manifestation such as BRICS, there should be others who see it in a negative light and want to punish those who participate. It cannot be and should not be.”

Ramaphosa has faced serious criticisms from South African entrepreneurs, politicians and middle-class for turning and twisting its spinal-bone to United States. For decades, South Africa and the United states have an excellent trade policy ties and investment relations, especially through the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).

“We are not anti-American,” re-asserted South African Ramaphosa. South Africa has rejected claims that it holds anti-American views and reaffirmed its commitment to securing a trade agreement with the United States. South Africa emphatically stated it remains focused on constructive economic dialogue with the United States.

South Africa’s Trade Ministry spokesman, Kaamil Alli, also told Reuters news agency that the country remains committed to deepening economic ties with Washington. “We still await formal communication from the US in respect our trade deal but our conversations remain constructive and fruitful. As we have communicated previously, we are not anti-American,” Kaamil Alli said.

Relations between South Africa and the United States have sharply declined since Donald Trump returned to the White House in January 2025. Tensions escalated after the U.S. president expelled South Africa’s ambassador and cut financial aid, citing objections to South Africa’s land reform policies and its decision to pursue a genocide case against U.S. ally Israel at the International Court of Justice.

In response, the South African government defended its stance, calling the land reform effort a constitutional measure aimed at addressing historical racial inequalities in land ownership dating back to apartheid. Officials also stressed that no land expropriations have taken place.

Notwithstanding these mentioned above, the point is that South Africa, Egypt and Ethiopia (African BRICS members) have significantly changed their language as well, toning down their fierce criticisms for fear of loosing trade ties with United States. These are stark realities, that are getting increasingly hard to ignore in the geopolitical context.

South Africa, Egypt and Ethiopia are seemingly at risk of extra tariff as Donald Trump targets BRICS-aligned countries that frequently shout “anti-American policies” and the rest against the West. The BRICS bloc has criticized increasing tariffs as detrimental to global trade, raising concerns for some African countries including South Africa, Egypt and Ethiopia. In addition, Algeria, Nigeria, and Uganda as new African partner countries.

British newspaper The Telegraph has described India as inconsistent and unreliable partner for Europe. From analysis, India has carefully positioned itself a neutral player around the world. Historically, India has had relations with Europe and the United States, from where it receives the largest financial remittances back to India. It has to symbolically recognize that the United States and Europe are more comparatively receptive, its estimated 4.1 million people of Indian origin live in the United States. This includes both Indian immigrants and their descendants. The Indian-American population is one of the fastest-growing ethnic groups in the United States.

In most of its joint statements, BRICS, originally a coalition of emerging economies, is increasingly positioning itself as a counterbalance to Western-led institutions, such as the G7 and G20. With multilateral diplomacy under strain and Trump’s “America First” approach creating further divides, BRICS has attracted countries seeking alternative alliances.

The 17th BRICS summit was held under Brazil’s presidency from July 6-7 in Rio de Janeiro. In fact at the summit, this definitive message of BRICS being a ‘non-western’ and not ‘anti-western’ emerged amid growing geopolitical tensions and the expansion of group. The BRICS alliance is currently made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, later expanded in December 2024 to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. At the end of the historic summit, Brazil handed over the rotating presidency to heavyweight India.

*Kestér Kenn Klomegâh has a diverse work experience in the field of business intelligence and consultancy. His focused research interest includes geopolitical changes, foreign relations and economic development related questions in Africa with external countries. Klomegâh has media publications, policy monographs and e-handbooks.
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