An Update on BRICS in Light of the US War on BRICS

At the end of this essay, I have posted my latest interview with Alex Krainer, where we discuss the West’s current offensive to derail BRICS. While the Western media, especially the establishment media in the United States, continue to ignore BRICS and pretend that nothing important is happening, I believe that the financial leaders privately recognize that BRICS presents a potentially formidable threat to a Western-dominated financial system. Furthermore, I believe that the Western intelligence agencies are working feverishly to sow unrest in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran, India and Pakistan in order to throw a monkey wrench into BRICS, as it works to develop an alternative to being held hostage to the US dollar. I have some surprising statistics for you, but you’ll have to read further to find out.

Let’s start with a summary of the key results from the 2025 BRICS conference in Rio de Janeiro:

1. Expansion and Membership
   • The BRICS group reaffirmed its commitment to expansion, welcoming new members and discussing further enlargement.
   • There was consensus on deepening cooperation with recently admitted countries and evaluating applications from additional interested nations.

2. Economic Cooperation
   • BRICS leaders agreed to strengthen trade and investment ties among member states, with a focus on reducing reliance on the US dollar in cross-border transactions.
   • The summit advanced discussions on creating a common payment system and expanding the use of local currencies for trade within the bloc.

3. Development Initiatives
   • The New Development Bank (NDB) announced new funding for infrastructure and green energy projects across member countries.
   • Special emphasis was placed on supporting sustainable development and climate resilience in the Global South.

4. Geopolitical Stance
   • The BRICS nations issued a joint statement calling for a multipolar world order, emphasizing respect for international law and the sovereignty of nations.
   • The group expressed concern over ongoing global conflicts and called for peaceful resolutions through dialogue.

5. Technology and Innovation
   • The summit launched new initiatives for cooperation in digital infrastructure, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity.
   • Plans were made to establish a BRICS technology forum to share expertise and foster innovation.

6. Global Governance Reform
   • BRICS leaders reiterated calls for reform of major international institutions, including the United Nations Security Council and the International Monetary Fund, to better reflect the interests of emerging economies.

As a reminder, the BRICS group includes the following member countries at the start of the conference:
1. Brazil
2. Russia
3. India
4. China
5. South Africa
6. Egypt
7. Ethiopia
8. Iran
9. Saudi Arabia
10. United Arab Emirates (UAE)

As of Sunday, the BRICS Rio de Janeiro Declaration announced that 10 new countries from various regions around the world have joined BRICS as official partner countries. They are:

🇧🇾 Belarus
🇧🇴 The Plurinational State of Bolivia
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan
🇨🇺 Cuba
🇮🇩 Indonesia
🇳🇬 Nigeria
🇲🇾 Malaysia
🇹🇭 Thailand
🇻🇳 Vietnam
🇺🇬 Uganda
🇺🇿 Uzbekistan

All of these countries combined represent 55% of the world’s population. Although these 21 countries account for only 30% of the world’s nominal GDP, they represent approximately 45% of the world’s GDP, as measured by purchasing power parity (PPP) as of 2025. Why is PPP important? PPP GDP is a crucial measure for comparing the real economic health, living standards, and domestic market size of countries, because it adjusts for differences in local prices and cost of living. It also provides a more accurate picture of how much people can actually buy with their income in their own country. By way of comparison, the G7 countries represent approximately 31% of the world’s PPP GDP as of 2025.

BRICS is not done growing. Other countries, such as Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bahrain have expressed interest in joining. Donald Trump’s use of tariffs, as well as the threat of international sanctions, may very well inspire other countries to join BRICS as a reaction to US financial bullying. Maybe it is true… Size does matter.

Here is my conversation with Alex Krainer.