Jaishankar welcomed Ghana’s aspirations while stressing that admission required collective consideration. Cabinet’s approval begins a diplomatic process in which Accra must secure agreement among existing members.

Ghana’s case for admission

BRICS’ expansion framework sets broad political and economic requirements. Applicants should be emerging or developing countries with regional and global influence, substantial commercial relationships with existing members and a commitment to sustainable development.

They must also maintain friendly diplomatic relations with members, support multilateralism and international law, and accept the grouping’s declarations and working arrangements. The framework sets no minimum GDP or trade threshold, and invitations require consensus among leaders.

Ghana’s trade relationships provide a foundation for its application. Trade with China reached US$14.1 billion in 2025, according to figures announced by the Chinese ambassador and reported by the Ghana News Agency . India’s High Commission recorded approximately US$3.14 billion in bilateral trade during the 2024–25 financial year.

Its economic recovery strengthens that position. The IMF reported growth of 6 per cent in 2025 and progress on debt restructuring, although maintaining fiscal discipline and debt sustainability remains a priority.

India’s positive response gives Ghana an encouraging start, but agreement from one member cannot secure admission.

“You know you have to be accepted. You must be admitted,” Ablakwa said.

Diplomatic relationships under pressure

Ghana is pursuing membership while managing tensions with South Africa over the treatment of Ghanaian nationals.

Ablakwa said the government evacuated 1,964 citizens between May and September following xenophobic attacks and intimidation. The evacuation and reintegration exercise cost approximately GH¢49.7 million (about $4.3 million), and he reported four Ghanaian deaths. Mahama said in June that diplomatic relations remained intact.

BRICS also brings together countries with competing geopolitical interests. Iran is a member, while Saudi Arabia’s formal position remains unsettled: India’s 2026 chairmanship website lists the kingdom, but Riyadh has yet to formally accept its invitation.

Renewed fighting between Iran-aligned Houthis and Saudi-backed government forces in Yemen has intensified regional tensions. For Ghana, closer engagement would involve maintaining relationships across these divisions while pursuing its own economic and foreign policy priorities.

What membership could offer

Membership would give Ghana a direct role in BRICS discussions on trade, investment and international economic cooperation. The grouping’s economic working groups address trade facilitation, digital commerce and investment links, providing channels through which Accra could pursue partnerships and contribute to joint initiatives.

Development financing is another potential avenue. The New Development Bank , established by the five founding BRICS countries, finances infrastructure and sustainable development projects.

Joining BRICS, however, does not automatically confer membership of the bank. Its admission process is separate and open to United Nations member states. Ghana would need to pursue that process to become a borrowing member, with individual projects still subject to assessment and approval.

The distinction matters for Ghana’s economic ambitions: participation in the grouping could expand diplomatic and commercial opportunities, but financing would depend on concrete proposals and negotiated agreements.

Cooperation before admission

Ghana’s financial links with China are already expanding.

In August, Stanbic Bank Ghana announced access to China’s Cross-Border Interbank Payment System following Bank of Ghana approval. Eligible customers can settle yuan transactions from cedi accounts, with Standard Bank South Africa serving as the group’s clearing hub.

The arrangement provides another payment channel for trade with China, demonstrating that Ghana can deepen financial cooperation with BRICS economies before securing membership.

The opinions and thoughts expressed in this article reflect only the author's views.

Speaking on the sidelines of the 81st UN General Assembly in New York , Ablakwa argued that Africa's natural wealth should allow the continent to move away from relying on external assistance.

“You cannot be the most blessed continent in the world and still be dependent and waiting for handouts from outside,” Ablakwa said.

He said Ghana plans to stop exporting raw materials, including cocoa, gold and bauxite, by 2030 and instead increase domestic processing.

“We are going to add value. We are going to industrialise and make sure that we have resource sovereignty,” he stressed.

Ablakwa also called for a rethink of Africa's relationships with its longstanding international partners.

“This business of, ‘These are my traditional allies. These were our colonial masters. These are the people who have always been with us’ - it doesn’t work,” he added, calling instead for “win-win partnerships” without exploitation or conditionalities.

He also revealed that Ghana's Cabinet had recently discussed possible membership of BRICS.

“Let me disclose that our Cabinet has considered BRICS membership recently, and we are taking a very positive view of BRICS. So a lot is changing,” he continued.

Ghana hosts the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat in Accra.

Ablakwa said intra-African trade remains at around 14%, arguing that increasing trade between African countries could help reduce dependence on external partners.

The exact date of filming could not be independently verified.

Technology investment was another focus, with Marcos meeting executives from Indian companies including HCLTech, Cognizant, Hinduja Group and VVDN Technologies. The visit builds on the India-Philippines Strategic Partnership established in 2025, while Marcos attended the summit as the 2026 ASEAN chair and the Philippines participated as an invited Outreach Country.

Xi is expected to spend about 24 hours in the Indian capital and hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday evening, with trade and investment expected to feature prominently.

The visit comes as China and India continue efforts to stabilise relations following years of tensions and a series of recent high-level contacts.

The two-day summit, hosted under India's BRICS chairship, brings together leaders and senior representatives from the bloc's 11 member countries.

Running from September 12 to 13, the summit is being held under the theme "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability."

The biggest BRICS summit yet closed in New Delhi with eleven member states, ten partner countries, and a 140-paragraph declaration adopted, in host prime minister Narendra Modi's words, without a single objection.

Sovereignty first

In only his second summit as a full member, Indonesian president Prabowo Subianto told the leaders' session that Jakarta would not take instruction from anybody.

"We do not like being dictated to by one or two specific powers," he said.

His answer is to look to his people first: feeding, fuelling and educating Indonesians ahead of flashy interventions abroad.

Vladimir Putin expressed a similar sentiment that he and his fellow leaders were seeking to develop their own nations, "not building our work in opposition to anyone".

But the issue of sovereignty goes wider.

"The Global South stands in the front row of global crises," India's Modi told delegates, "yet occupies the back row in decision-making." He wants a "pyramid of privilege" replaced by a "platform for partnership", and rule-takers turned into rule-shapers on artificial intelligence, cyberspace and biotechnology.

On institutional reform the declaration reiterated previous demands for change to the United Nations Security Council's outdated configuration; better representation at the International Monetary Fund for the countries most closely involved with it; and calls for a functional World Trade Organisation.

South African president Cyril Ramaphosa made the case for Africa hardest, noting that a continent with 54 UN seats and nearly a fifth of humanity still has no permanent voice on the UN's most powerful council. "This is neither just nor sustainable," he said, before demanding accountability for what he called the ongoing genocide against Palestinians, the crimes in Sudan and the illegal war against Iran.

Money talks

De-dollarisation was progressive rather than revolutionary. The main steps were for the BRICS Payment Task Force to keep working towards cross-border payments that are "fast, low-cost, more accessible, efficient, transparent and safe", and to promote settlement in local currencies. Cautious, because the stakes are so high, but the direction of travel is not in doubt.

The war in the Middle East was unavoidable on the topic of energy sovereignty, awkwardly so with Iran and the UAE effectively on opposite sides of the conflict. The final declaration calls energy security "a crucial foundation" and defends mixed energy systems that still include fossil fuels. But the declaration avoided any blame around the current blockages in the Strait of Hormuz as the price of securing unanimity.

Climate language has hardened. Carbon border levies are condemned as punitive and protectionist, "net zero" has disappeared, and the demand is for adaptation finance that is additional, predictable and accessible. Ethiopia's COP32 presidency and India's COP33 bid both won backing.

Food delivered the most concrete result: Russia's long-pushed Grain Exchange, a digital trading platform for a bloc growing more than forty percent of the world's food. But across BRICS, members have been building their resilience.

"For years, Indonesia was a major importer of grains, rice, and corn," Prabowo said. "Now, we have become an exporter."

Like the wider Global South, BRICS has no shortage of internal differences. Nevertheless it has enough shared needs, hopes, and increasingly power, to be a unified force for change.

Presidential aide Kirill Dmitriev announced the agreements on Friday on the sidelines of the BRICS Business Forum in New Delhi.

"The instruments for co-operation are developing very rapidly. Today, the Russian Direct Investment Fund signed important agreements in the area of BRICS Pay - the BRICS payment system - as well as in education and support for our technology companies. For example, Innopraktika is actively developing technology hubs in India and other BRICS countries, allowing our startups to interact effectively and quickly, as well as helping our technology companies enter the markets of BRICS countries," he said.

Dmitriev said discussions were focused on "practical and clear instruments for co-operation" between BRICS members.

He also highlighted Russian President Vladimir Putin's position on the purpose of the alliance.

"Russian president [Vladimir Putin] said clearly today that the BRICS alliance is not against anyone. It is about ensuring that our businesses and companies develop and interact more with each other. Therefore, this is undoubtedly a very important summit precisely in terms of the practical implementation of the economic potential that exists between the BRICS countries," he continued.

Putin's visit to New Delhi runs from September 11-13. On Friday, he joined Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a visit to the INNOPROM exhibition.

INNOPROM.India is being held from September 9-11 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. It brings together government representatives, manufacturers, technology companies, investors and industry organisations from Russia and India.

Putin and other leaders are scheduled to take part in a high-level BRICS Summit session on Saturday. They will then meet in an expanded format with partners and invitees before final documents are signed on Sunday.

The Russian president is also expected to hold several bilateral meetings.

“We believe BRICS will become a real force in the global economy when the results of our cooperation are reflected in contracts, factories, ports, and the economic lives of the peoples of our countries,” he said.

He called for greater use of national currencies in trade between member states, backed by mechanisms to manage currency risks and settlements.

Pezeshkian also urged the BRICS New Development Bank to expand local-currency financing for infrastructure and energy projects, while proposing a joint reinsurance company with initial capital of $10 billion to support major investments.

He called for streamlined customs procedures, fewer regulatory barriers and greater private-sector participation across the bloc.

The Iranian president said Iran was ready to use its energy resources and geographical position to strengthen BRICS food, energy and transport supply chains.

The answer may not always lie in the world's most powerful AI systems. Countries across the region are at very different stages of technological development. Some have advanced research capabilities and large digital economies, while others are still building data centres, digital networks, and a skilled workforce needed to make AI work at scale.

This is creating a new dimension of South-South cooperation. BRICS countries, with their diverse technological capabilities and development experiences, are increasingly developing and sharing AI technologies, expertise and applications with other emerging and developing economies.

Rather than simply transferring one-size-fits-all technologies, these efforts are being adapted to local infrastructure, economic conditions and development priorities.

The result is more about asking where AI can make the biggest difference.

Bringing medical expertise closer

Across much of the Global South, where medical resources are often concentrated in major cities, access to timely and quality healthcare can depend on where a person lives. For people in rural and remote areas, seeing a specialist may require travelling hundreds of kilometres, as local clinics may lack the equipment or expertise needed for an accurate diagnosis.

AI is beginning to offer a way to narrow this gap, helping extend medical expertise beyond the walls of well-equipped hospitals.

In China, Xunfei Healthcare has developed AI-powered tools that assist doctors with clinical decision-making, medical records and prescription reviews, and medical imaging.

The company is now taking some of these technologies abroad. In June, it signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Indonesia's PT DSST Mas Gemilang to deploy AI healthcare solutions, including AI-assisted diagnosis and treatment, public-health monitoring and medical imaging. The cooperation combines China's experience in large-scale AI applications with Indonesia's local infrastructure and healthcare needs.

Another similar form of South-South technology diffusion can be seen in India's Qure.ai . Its qXR system uses AI to analyse chest X-rays for signs of tuberculosis and other abnormalities. It has since been deployed in more than 60 countries across Africa, Asia and Latin America, helping healthcare workers identify patients who may require further testing in places where specialist radiologists are in short supply.

From satellites to early warnings

For communities on the front lines of climate change , a disaster often arrives faster than help can. Floods can sweep through farmland, storms can destroy homes, and droughts can wipe out crops before communities have time to respond. But AI is helping turn that early warning into a reality.

At this year's World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai, the China Meteorological Administration unveiled the MAZU-Fengyun Satellite AI Toolbox.

By combining satellite-data reception, AI inference and multi-source data fusion, the meteorological toolbox can help improve monitoring and early warning for extreme weather and other meteorological hazards.

Customised MAZU systems have already been deployed in seven countries, including Pakistan, Ethiopia and Sri Lanka, helping countries vulnerable to floods, droughts and other extreme weather events strengthen their early-warning capabilities. More than 40 other countries are also accessing related MAZU services through cloud-based platforms.

Pakistani State Minister Bilal Bin Saqib said the MAZU Satellite AI Toolbox could provide smarter meteorological early-warning services for countries in the Global South, helping protect crops, strengthen food security and contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Helping farmers make better decisions

For many countries in the Global South, agriculture accounts for a large share of economic activity. AI is offering farmers and agricultural researchers new ways to make better decisions, from how much fertiliser to apply to which seeds are most likely to survive a changing climate.

In Namibia, Chinese agricultural experts found that poor soil conditions and inappropriate fertiliser use were contributing to low agricultural productivity. To address the problem, they introduced a smart agricultural management system in 2025 that can generate tailored fertilisation plans after farmers enter information about their soil. The system has been described as an "agricultural navigator," offering farmers guidance based on the specific conditions of their land.

AI is also changing one of the most time-consuming stages of agriculture: cultivating better seeds.

Traditional seed selection can take eight to ten years of experimentation, followed by additional years of promotion before a new variety reaches farmers. AI can dramatically shorten this process by analysing large amounts of data quickly and more accurately.

Chen Xin, president of the Society for the Advancement of Breeding Research in Asia and Oceania, said AI can improve the precision of selecting seeds that are more resistant to pests, diseases and more tolerant of high temperatures. It can also help researchers identify promising combinations for hybridisation, accelerating the search for varieties suited to changing environmental conditions.

The technology is increasingly being adapted to local needs. In Thailand and Myanmar, for example, optimised bean varieties are being developed to better match local growing conditions and agricultural demands.

Financing AI-powered development

Technology alone cannot transform public services. AI systems need digital networks, computing infrastructure and other physical and institutional foundations, all of which require investment.

The New Development Bank (NDB), established by the BRICS countries in 2014 and beginning operations in 2015, provides financing for infrastructure and sustainable development projects in BRICS member countries and other emerging-market and developing economies. Its portfolio has increasingly included projects involving digital infrastructure and technology-driven public services.

In Brazil, the bank is supporting the development of a new generation of public healthcare infrastructure. Earlier this year, the NDB approved a $320 million loan for the first public smart hospital in São Paulo. The hospital is designed to combine advanced medical services with technologies including artificial intelligence, an AI-supported comprehensive diagnosis platform and online consultations.

For developing countries, the challenge is not only gaining access to AI technology, but also building the infrastructure and connected systems that allow that technology to be used at scale. By financing such projects, the NDB can help turn AI from an emerging technology into a tool embedded in essential public services.

During this year’s World Artificial Intelligence Conference in July, Chinese President Xi Jinping called for countries to “carry out extensive international cooperation and help Global South countries with capacity building to bridge the AI and digital divides, promote sustainable development, and prevent creating new historical injustice in AI.”

He has also called for a consensus-based global governance framework “to make this frontier technology better benefit humanity.”

For countries across the Global South, this means more than gaining access to the latest AI models. Cooperation can help them share technologies, expertise and development experience while adapting AI solutions to local conditions.

For more than six billion people across the region, its success may be judged by a more immediate measure: whether AI can help deliver better healthcare, protect livelihoods, strengthen food security and give communities a better chance to prepare for the challenges ahead.

The article solely represents the views of Chen Ziqi, a Beijing-based journalist with CGTN, known for covering cross-cultural and international stories.

“BRICS represents a significant proportion of the Global South countries, and the Global South accounts for around 45 per cent of the world’s population,” da Silva Cunha said.

He argued that the economic weight of BRICS now exceeds that of the Group of Seven ( G7 ) industrialised nations.

“As a member of BRICS, Russia will be able to play a key role in Africa’s economic development,” he added.

The remarks came during the 29th edition of SPIEF, which is being held from June 3 to 6 in St Petersburg.

Organisers expect more than 20,000 participants from around 76 countries to attend the forum, including political leaders, business executives and policymakers.

For the first time in several years, representatives from the United States have also accepted an invitation to attend the event.

Established in 1997, SPIEF has become one of Russia’s flagship international economic gatherings and a platform for discussions on global trade , investment and development. Russian President Vladimir Putin has participated regularly since 2005.

Under President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, this shift is accompanied by a more confident political posture. The government has signalled willingness to challenge major powers, regulate global tech platforms and pursue strategic autonomy. At the same time, long-term investments in aerospace and defence—highlighted by the development of advanced fighter jets—underscore ambitions to strengthen hard power capabilities. Analysts such as Richard Heydarian, from Global South Voices, describe this approach as “progressive realism”, reflecting a broader trend among Global South nations aiming to balance cooperation with independence in an increasingly multipolar world .

The silence contrasts with BRICS’ frequent calls for a more “multipolar” world order and its ambition to amplify the political influence of developing nations in global affairs.

Several member states have responded individually. China and Russia condemned the strikes and warned they violated international law, while South Africa called for a ceasefire and warned the conflict risked spreading beyond the Middle East.

But the organisation itself — which now includes Iran — has not taken a collective position.

This reflects growing divisions within the bloc, particularly after its rapid expansion.

Fractures within BRICS

Originally formed in 2009 by Brazil, Russia, India and China, with South Africa joining the following year, BRICS began primarily as an economic partnership among emerging economies. In 2024, the group expanded to include Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Ethiopia and Indonesia.

Supporters hailed the enlargement as a milestone for a rising coalition of Global South powers seeking greater influence in international institutions traditionally dominated by the West.

However, the Iran war has highlighted the challenges of maintaining unity among members with competing strategic interests.

Iran, under attack from the U.S. and Israel, has launched retaliatory strikes against American assets across the region, including in Saudi Arabia and the UAE — both fellow BRICS members. The attacks marked the first time one member of the organisation has fired missiles at another, underscoring internal tensions within the bloc.

India’s position has drawn particular attention. As the current BRICS chair, New Delhi has limited its response to calls for dialogue and de-escalation, avoiding direct criticism of Washington or Tel Aviv.

This cautious approach comes as India strengthens ties with both countries. Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Israel weeks before the war began, announcing a “special strategic partnership” that includes defence and technology cooperation.

At the same time, India has sought to stabilise trade relations with the U.S. following tariff disputes with the Trump administration.

Those overlapping relationships have complicated efforts for BRICS to adopt a unified position on the conflict.

While BRICS leaders frequently emphasise their role as a voice for the Global South, the differing responses to the Iran war suggest the alliance still struggles to coordinate on major security crises — even when one of its own members is directly involved.

Sardana contends that institutions such as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank remain largely shaped by Western interests, often advancing political priorities rather than addressing the development needs of the Global South. In this context, the dollar is increasingly viewed not just as a reserve currency but as a strategic tool that enables countries like the United States to impose sanctions and exert influence over nations that diverge from its policy positions.

Momentum for alternatives has been reinforced by reports that India’s central bank has proposed linking the official digital currencies of BRICS members to facilitate cross-border trade and tourism payments. Such a system, supporters argue, would reduce exposure to dollar-based transactions and enhance global financial stability. The idea builds on commitments made in the 2025 BRICS declaration in Rio de Janeiro, which called for greater interoperability between national payment systems.

India has formally assumed the BRICS presidency for 2026, with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar unveiling the official website, theme and logo in New Delhi on Tuesday, January 13. Jaishankar said India’s chairship “will adopt a ‘humanity-first’ and ‘people-centric’ approach,” aimed at resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability. “Launched preparations for BRICS India 2026 with the unveiling of website, theme and logo,” he wrote on X, adding that the presidency would “seek to bring together the potential of the member countries of the grouping to promote greater global welfare.” Noting that BRICS will mark 20 years since its inception in 2026, Jaishankar said the bloc has evolved into a key platform for cooperation among emerging markets and developing economies. India took over the presidency from Brazil on January 1, marking its fourth turn at the helm, having last chaired the grouping in 2021 during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Labour reforms

Major delivery platforms Blinkit, Zepto, Zomato and Swiggy have begun moving away from their 10-minute delivery model following an intervention by Union Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya. The decision comes after gig workers staged a one-day strike on December 31, citing safety risks and health concerns linked to ultra-fast delivery timelines. Ministry sources said Blinkit has already removed the 10-minute delivery promise from its branding, with others expected to follow. A senior official said Mandaviya raised concerns with aggregators, urging them to stop the practice “considering the health and welfare of delivery workers,” a request the companies agreed to. Blinkit has since revised its tagline to “30,000+ products delivered at your doorstep.”

Army chief issues blunt warning to Pakistan

India’s Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi on Tuesday warned Pakistan that any future provocation would be met with a firm response, describing the counterterror Operation Sindoor as “ongoing.” Speaking at the Army Day press conference, he said , “At least 6 terror camps still active across the LoC & 2 across the International Border after Operation Sindoor against Pakistan. Will act, if any (nefarious) attempts are carried out.” Dwivedi said the operation was executed with precision, dismantling terror infrastructure and “resetting strategic assumptions.” He added that around 100 Pakistani personnel were killed during heightened tensions along the Line of Control and International Border, and acknowledged the coordinated role of intelligence agencies, civil authorities and multiple ministries in the operation.

India slips to third place in Russian fossil fuel imports

India fell to third place among importers of Russian fossil fuels in December 2025 after private and state-owned refiners sharply reduced crude purchases, according to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA). India’s imports dropped to €2.3 billion in December from €3.3 billion in November, with Türkiye overtaking India as the second-largest buyer. China remained the top importer. CREA said crude oil made up 78 percent of India’s purchases, with coal and refined products accounting for the rest. The think tank noted that Reliance Industries halved its Russian imports in December, while state refiners cut purchases by 15 percent, amid tighter sanctions on major Russian producers Rosneft and Lukoil.

Trump’s Iran tariffs add to India’s trade worries

U.S. President Donald Trump has announced a 25 percent tariff on goods from countries “doing business” with Iran, a move that could further strain India’s trade outlook. “Any Country doing business with the Islamic Republic of Iran will pay a Tariff of 25% on any and all business being done with the United States of America,” Trump said , adding that the order was “final and conclusive.” India’s bilateral trade with Iran stood at $1.34 billion in the first 10 months of 2025, with exports including rice, tea, sugar and pharmaceuticals. The new tariffs come as India is already grappling with 50 percent U.S. levies linked to Russian oil purchases, with exporters warning that sectors such as textiles, gems and jewellery, leather and marine products could be hit hardest if the Iran tariffs are applied on top of existing duties.

What began as tactical responses to pressure increasingly took institutional form, as blocs such as BRICS+ and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) moved beyond political signalling to more structured cooperation.

US sanctions and rising non-Western alliances emerged as defining forces this year. 

US pressure

One of the year’s most visible sanctions flashpoints remained Venezuela. After limited relief in earlier years, the US reimposed tighter restrictions on Caracas’s oil sector as negotiations over political reforms stalled.

The measures complicated crude exports by targeting licensing, shipping and insurance channels, further constraining one of Venezuela’s few remaining sources of hard currency. Authorities in Caracas accused Washington of economic coercion, while Russia and China reiterated diplomatic support and criticised the use of unilateral sanctions.

Global South World tracked the standoff closely throughout the year, including an exclusive interview with Rollie Flynn, chief executive of the Arkin Group and a former CIA officer, who warned that the confrontation carried risks beyond counter-narcotics work.

With Western sanctions on Russia still in place and restrictions on Iran largely intact, 2025 underscored a wider reality: energy producers operating outside the US-led system increasingly faced fragmented trade rules, rerouted supply chains and parallel payment arrangements. 

For oil-importing developing economies, the impact was indirect but tangible, adding volatility to prices and procurement even when they were not direct targets.

BRICS+ rising

Against this backdrop, non-Western groupings sought to tighten coordination .

At the BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro in July, leaders of the expanded bloc reaffirmed cooperation on development finance, trade and global governance reform. 

While the group stopped short of unveiling a common currency or alternative payment system, the summit reinforced political alignment among members that now include major energy exporters in the Middle East and Africa — significantly expanding BRICS’ economic weight and diplomatic reach.

In response, US President Donald Trump warned that countries aligning with what he described as BRICS’ “anti-American policies” could face additional tariffs, a statement that underscored how sanctions and trade pressure have become increasingly intertwined.

SCO hardening

Momentum was more institutional at the SCO summit in Tianjin in late August. The organisation adopted a Development Strategy extending to 2035 and approved new permanent centres focused on security threats, transnational crime, information security and narcotics control.

Leaders also signed the Tianjin Declaration, which explicitly opposed unilateral sanctions and protectionism — language widely interpreted as a direct response to US and European coercive measures.

Taken together, the developments highlighted a paradox of US foreign policy under Trump. While sanctions and tariffs were intended to weaken rivals, analysts say they have instead nudged competitors — and even uneasy neighbours — toward closer cooperation.

“This is a strange time when unlikely bedfellows like India and China are now overtly comfortable with each other, which was not the scene until three or four months ago,” said Dr Pooja Bhatt, director of the Jindal School of International Affairs in India, in an interview with Global South World this year .

“This shows how the U.S.’s excessive use of force — through policy and diplomacy — can push even the most unlikely countries to come together,” she said.

All things considered, the Global South does not seem to move toward a complete realignment, but rather toward steady repositioning. 

US sanctions remained powerful, particularly for countries dependent on Western finance and technology. At the same time, forums such as BRICS+ and the SCO increasingly offered diplomatic backing, coordination platforms and limited institutional alternatives.

Putin noted that defence cooperation between the two countries remains strong, with Indonesian military personnel currently undergoing training at Russian institutions. “Our military departments have direct bilateral ties… at the level of good professional interaction, and we are ready to expand this cooperation,” he said.

The Russian leader also congratulated Indonesia on joining the BRICS group in January and reaffirmed support for negotiations between Jakarta and the Eurasian Economic Community (EurAsEC) on a potential free trade zone.

Subianto’s official visit to Moscow focused on strengthening the Russian-Indonesian strategic partnership and discussing key international and regional developments, according to the Kremlin.

Many of the provinces carry names rooted in Indigenous languages such as Quechua, Mapuche, and Guaraní. Others have Spanish colonial or religious origins.

For example:

Even more interesting translations, such as “Very Pronounced Point Between Two Rivers” (Chaco) or “Prickly Plant Fruit” (Tucumán), come from Indigenous terms describing local landscapes, flora, or cultural practices.

In Dakar, Senegal, Djibril Gningue of the Research Group and Dappio – Council for Participatory Democracy and Good Governance (GRADEC) dismissed claims that the boycott is linked to allegations of a so-called “white farmer genocide” in South Africa. Instead, he argued that Washington’s decision reflects broader strategic anxieties.

Gningue said a “wind” of countries asserting their sovereignty is “blowing across the world and especially over Africa,” and warned that the US is ramping up pressure on the Global South as a result.

He suggested the boycott highlights a deeper shift in global power. “Isn’t it time to go in that direction, in the direction of a multipolar world ? Isn’t it also in the direction of sovereignism?” he asked, warning that attempts to pressure the Global South “will lead to the definitive decline of the West.”

These countries collectively boast a GDP of approximately $29 trillion, making up about 27.94% of the global economy.

This impressive figure is largely driven by China's massive economic output .

As the largest economy within the BRICS framework, China’s GDP stands at around $17.96 trillion. This positions China as a central pillar within the group, contributing significantly to the overall economic strength of BRICS.

India follows with a GDP of approximately $3.39 trillion. India's economy has been growing rapidly, and it is expected to continue this trend, potentially surpassing other major economies in the coming years.

Russia's GDP is about $2.24 trillion. The country’s economy is heavily influenced by its energy sector, particularly oil and gas exports, which play a crucial role in its economic performance.

Brazil's GDP is around $1.92 trillion. Despite facing economic challenges in recent years, Brazil remains a key player in the BRICS alliance due to its vast natural resources and large market of billionaires.

BRICS' newest member, Saudi Arabia also boasts a GDP of $1.92 trillion. The Kingdom's economy is largely driven by its oil sector, but it is also making significant strides in diversifying its economic activities.

South Africa on the other hand has a GDP of approximately $0.41 trillion. Despite its smaller size, South Africa is a vital member due to its strategic importance and role as a gateway to the African continent.

The BRICS countries collectively represent a significant portion of the world's economic activity. Their combined GDP is nearly on par with that of the United States , which stands at around $26.94 trillion.

This economic power allows the BRICS nations to exert considerable influence on global economic policies and trends.