The BRICS summit, hosted online by China on 23 June, is receiving significant attention as it has become the first forum of this level this year where Russian President Vladimir Putin will communicate directly with the leaders of China, India, Brazil, South Africa and several other invited countries.

As is well known, China is the largest importer of Russian energy, while India is the largest importer of Russian defence equipment. What makes the situation problematic for the US is the fact that the majority of its allies have also been, or continue to be, major importers of Russian energy. However, although the US allies have reduced their Russian energy imports due to the crisis in Ukraine, China and India have increased theirs. This has been facilitated by the shared political stance of BRICS countries on the issue of Ukraine: the refusal to condemn Russia, and the call from both sides to immediately cease hostilities and initiate direct negotiations to resolve this crisis.

The meeting's newest proposal – the expansion of BRICS – also leaves the presence of both V. Putin and the newly invited participants open to various interpretations. The crisis in Ukraine has caused rifts within the G20, and the addition of new members to BRICS could turn it into an alternative, taking them away from the US and its allies. This could also mean that an expanded BRICS will overtake the G7 sooner than anticipated. (...)
Frank Horvat's photograph used
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