Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa… The five BRICS countries are gathering in Johannesburg for their 15th summit, the first since the Covid-19 pandemic. The notable absence is Vladimir Putin.
The 15th BRICS summit (an acronym for Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) is opening this Tuesday in Johannesburg, South Africa. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa welcomed his counterparts, Brazilian Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Chinese Xi Jinping, in Johannesburg. India is represented by its Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, and Russia by its Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov.
Under an international arrest warrant for war crimes in Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin is participating through videoconference. As a member of the ICC, South Africa is theoretically expected to arrest the Russian President, who is subject to an ICC arrest warrant, if he enters its territory. This presents a delicate position for Pretoria, which claims to adopt a neutral stance.
South Africa, China, and India have never condemned Moscow, and Brazil has refused to join Western countries in sending arms to Ukraine or imposing sanctions on Russia. Producing a quarter of the world’s wealth and representing 42% of the global population, the BRICS countries share the goal of a more inclusive global political and economic balance, particularly in relation to the United States and the European Union. The group seeks to expand its influence and is considering enlargement.
