BRICS Unity Under Strain Amid Wars and Geopolitical Divisions; Summit Begins in India

The BRICS grouping is facing a test of its ability to maintain unity as wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, along with growing tensions between the United States and China, expose divisions within the expanded bloc. BRICS leaders are set to meet in New Delhi this weekend.

As host, India will seek to balance its close ties with China and Russia while also managing its increasingly important partnerships with the United States and other Western countries.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian are among the leaders expected to attend the summit.

BRICS takes its name from Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The grouping has expanded from its original five members to 11 countries, which collectively represent about half of the world’s population and account for a significant share of global energy, natural resources and economic output.

However, experts say the expansion has also made the bloc’s internal divisions more apparent. While its members share an interest in increasing their influence in the global order, they have significant differences in their political, economic and foreign-policy interests.

Divisions Over Iran and Ukraine

The conflicts in Iran and Ukraine are likely to further expose divisions within BRICS. Iran is a member of the expanded bloc, while Russia remains one of its most influential members. China maintains close relations with both Russia and Iran.

India, meanwhile, maintains relations with Russia, Iran, the United States and Europe. This diverse set of relationships makes it difficult for BRICS to adopt a strong and unified position on major international conflicts.

Praveen Donthi, a senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, said the Global South is not a homogeneous group. In his assessment, this diversity will make it difficult for BRICS to effectively mediate or develop common positions on major conflicts.

The war in Ukraine has already highlighted the challenges India faces in balancing competing interests. New Delhi has maintained close ties with Moscow, particularly through energy and defense cooperation, while simultaneously deepening its strategic partnership with Washington.

There are also significant differences in regional interests among BRICS members. India and China, Iran and Saudi Arabia, and Egypt and Ethiopia, for example, have competing interests and differences on various regional and strategic issues.

As a result, although BRICS has the potential to increase the political and economic influence of the Global South, the New Delhi summit is likely to raise an important question: how effectively can the expanded bloc act collectively when confronted with major international conflicts and geopolitical rivalries?

Report by AP