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BRICS Expands While Facing Geopolitical Divisions and Challenges
BRICS is a group of countries that work together on politics, security, money and development.
It started with Brazil, Russia, India and China.
South Africa joined later, followed by several other countries in 2024 and Indonesia in 2025.
The members represent a large share of the world’s people and economy.
BRICS created a bank that helps fund infrastructure and sustainable-development projects.
It is also working on payment systems that could make trade less dependent on dollar-based banks.
Russia and China see BRICS as a counterweight to Western countries.
India and Brazil emphasize economics and reform instead.
The larger group does not always agree, making joint statements and common decisions harder.
BRICS began as BRIC in 2001 and became a formal bloc in 2009.
South Africa joined in 2011, followed by Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates in 2024, and Indonesia in 2025.
The bloc represents more than 40% of the world’s population and nearly a quarter of the global economy.
Its New Development Bank has approved 139 projects worth nearly $43 billion since 2015.
Members disagree over BRICS’s purpose, while expansion and foreign-policy differences make consensus more difficult.
- Who
- Leaders of the BRICS member countries, including Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates and Indonesia.
- What
- The BRICS countries are holding their annual summit to discuss the bloc’s history, achievements, expansion and internal challenges.
- Where
- New Delhi, India.
- When
- The annual summit is scheduled for Saturday; the articles do not specify the date.
- Why
- The summit is taking place amid geopolitical tension and disruptions affecting energy markets, shipping and global trade, while members seek cooperation and a joint statement despite policy differences.
Geopolitical Counterweight
Economic Cooperation and Reform
BRICS’s core purpose
Geopolitical Counterweight
Russia and China view BRICS as a counterweight to the United States and its Western allies.
Economic Cooperation and Reform
India and Brazil view BRICS as more focused on economics and reform.
Alternatives to dollar-based payments
Geopolitical Counterweight
BRICS members are pursuing settlements in national currencies, a BRICS Pay System and possible links between central bank digital currencies to reduce reliance on dollar-based banks.
Economic Cooperation and Reform
U.S. President Donald Trump has called BRICS anti-American and threatened tariffs if members create a new currency or support a currency replacing the U.S. dollar.
Expansion and consensus
Geopolitical Counterweight
Expansion gives BRICS broader membership and greater representation among countries outside the Western alliance system.
Economic Cooperation and Reform
The expanded membership has brought divergent foreign-policy interests that make consensus and joint statements more difficult.
Key facts
- Origins
- The BRIC acronym was coined by Goldman Sachs Chief Economist Jim O’Neill in 2001, and the countries formed a bloc in 2009.
- Membership expansion
- South Africa joined in 2011; Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates joined in 2024; Indonesia joined in 2025.
- Saudi Arabia
- Saudi Arabia has been invited to join but has not formally accepted.
- Global representation
- BRICS members account for more than 40% of the world’s population and nearly a quarter of the global economy.
- New Development Bank
- Established in 2015, the bank has approved 139 projects worth nearly $43 billion and suspended new transactions in Russia because of sanctions.
- Payment cooperation
- BRICS is developing a payment system, exploring links between central bank digital currencies and increasingly settling trade in national currencies.
- Consensus challenge
- Differences among members prevented a joint statement at the BRICS foreign ministers’ meeting in New Delhi in May.
Sources
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