Brics country leaders are meeting for the bloc’s annual summit in Rio de Janeiro this week, as questions loom about the group’s effectiveness as a voice of the Global South and counterweight to the Washington-led coalition of developed economies.
Against the backdrop of relentless tension that US President Donald Trump has injected into America’s trade policy, this year’s gathering on July 6 and 7 will test whether the bloc can present a unified front capable of countering Trump’s efforts to revamp global economic engagement on his terms without antagonising the US leader.
The prospects for a convincing show of unity are unclear at best.
In April, Brics foreign ministers failed to issue a joint communique after disagreements over language advocating that bloc members Brazil, India and South Africa gain permanent UN Security Council seats.
The mixed signals underscore a deeper uncertainty about Brics’ direction as key leaders skip this year’s summit. Chinese President Xi Jinping will not attend for the first time, sending Premier Li Qiang instead. Russian President Vladimir Putin will appear only via video, with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov representing him in person.
