The organization of developing countries BRICS condemned the tariffs and strikes on Iran, but without directly naming US President Donald Trump. In the final document of the forum, which also criticized Israeli military actions in the Middle East, Russia, which is a member of BRICS, was spared, and Ukraine was mentioned only once, the Associated Press reported, quoted by BTA.
The two-day summit was marked by the absence of some of the organization's most influential members. Chinese President Xi Jinping did not come to the event for the first time since he came to power in 2012. His Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, who joined via videoconference, has generally remained on a foreign travel ban because of an international arrest warrant issued against him for his invasion of Ukraine.
Indirectly criticizing the United States, the grouping expressed "serious concern" in its declaration about the tariff hikes, which "contradict World Trade Organization rules." The BRICS added that these restrictions "risk damaging global trade, disrupting production chains and creating uncertainty."
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who hosted the meeting, criticized the NATO countries' decision to extend their membership by 2035. to increase their defense spending to 5% of gross domestic product.
“It is always easier to invest in war than in peace“, Lula said at the opening of the event.
IRAN ATTENDED THE FORUM
Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian, who until the attacks on his country last month was expected to attend the forum in Rio de Janeiro, eventually sent Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
The final BRICS communiqué criticized the military strikes on the Islamic Republic, but did not explicitly name the United States and Israel, the two countries that carried them out.
In his speech, Araghchi told the leaders that he had urged every UN member to condemn Israel in the strongest terms. He added that Israel and the US must be held accountable for human rights violations. The Iranian foreign minister said the consequences of the war "will not be limited" to just one country.
"The entire region, and not just it, will suffer," Araghchi said.
The BRICS leaders expressed "deep concern" about the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, called for the release of all hostages and a return to the negotiating table, and reaffirmed their commitment to resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through the peaceful coexistence of two states for two peoples - Israel and Palestine.
Later, in a separate statement on the Telegram chat app, Araghchi wrote that his government had expressed reservations about a two-state solution to the conflict, arguing that it would not work, "just as it has not worked so far."
Also on Telegram, the Russian Foreign Ministry posted a statement explicitly mentioning the US and Israel and condemning their "unprovoked military strikes" on Iran.
RUSSIA WAS SPARED
The 31-page declaration of the alliance mentions Ukraine only once, while at the same time "condemning in the strongest terms" Kiev's recent attacks on Russia.
“We maintain our positions on the conflict in Ukraine, expressed in relevant forums, including within the UN Security Council and the General Assembly“, the organization said.
João Alfredo Niegrai, a professor of international business and geopolitics at the Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná, said the summit could have played the role of an alternative to instability in the world, but did not.
“The withdrawal of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (from participation) even before the forum and the uncertainty about the level at which Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates will be represented at the meeting only show that BRICS will have difficulty establishing itself as a single pole of global leadership“, Niegrai said. “Such a request requires a high level of articulation, and instead we are witnessing a scattering (of messages).“
AVOIDING TRUMP’S TARIFF
While Lula has called for reform of Western-dominated international institutions, Brazil has sought to avoid becoming a target of higher tariffs.
With Trump returning to the White House, it has decided to focus the meeting on safer issues such as promoting trade among BRICS members and global health, said Ana Garcia of the Federal Agrarian University in Rio de Janeiro.
“Brazil wants to do as little damage as possible and is trying not to attract the attention of the Trump administration in order to avoid risks to its economy“, Garcia pointed out.
TRUMP THREATENED ANYONE WHO GETS CLOSE TO BRICS
In a post on social media, posted just hours after the BRICS final declaration was released, Trump issued a sharp threat against any country that decides to join the grouping.
“Any country that joins the anti-American policy of BRICS will be subject to 10 percent additional tariffs. All without exception. "Thank you for your attention!" he wrote in Truth Social, quoted by Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
Trump did not specify what he meant by the words "anti-American policy".
Beijing insisted yesterday that BRICS is not seeking confrontation with the United States.
"China has repeatedly expressed its opinion that there are no winners in trade and tariff wars", said Mao Ning, spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing, at a regular briefing.
Beijing defended BRICS "as an important platform for cooperation between emerging markets and developing countries".
"The association is committed to openness and inclusiveness, from which everyone benefits", said Mao. “The organization is not involved in inter-bloc confrontation, nor will it ever be directed against any country.“
The Kremlin reiterated this message through its spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who told Russian media that “BRICS cooperation is not and will never be directed against third countries“.
This is not the first time Trump has made threats about BRICS. Last year, he warned that he would impose a 100% tariff on the organization if its members took any action to undermine the dollar. At last year’s BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, the Kremlin sought to develop alternatives to the US-dominated international payment systems, which would allow the country to circumvent US sanctions imposed after the invasion of Ukraine.
„THE BEST OPPORTUNITY FOR DEVELOPING COUNTRIES“
The BRICS grouping was formed by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, and expanded last year to include Indonesia, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia and the UAE.
In addition to the new members, the grouping also has ten strategic partner countries, a term introduced at last year’s summit to include countries such as Belarus, Cuba and Vietnam.
The rapid growth of the grouping has led Brazil to put integration and strengthening internal unity at the top of the forum’s agenda, with the formal agenda item “institutional development“.
Despite the large turnout, the Brazil forum was important for participants in the context of the instability caused by Trump's tariff wars, said Bruce Scheidl, who is part of a research group specializing in BRICS issues at the University of Sao Paulo.
“The summit represents the best opportunity for developing countries to respond, in the sense of seeking alternatives and diversifying their partnerships,“ he said.
On Sunday, a pro-Israeli NGO placed dozens of rainbow flags on Ipanema Beach in protest of Iran's policies against sexual minorities. A day earlier, human rights group “Amnesty International“ protested Brazil's plans for oil drilling near the mouth of the Amazon River.
For Lula, the meeting was a welcome opportunity to escape the domestic political scene, where he has problems such as declining popularity and conflict with Congress.
The meeting was also an opportunity to make progress in climate negotiations and environmental commitments before the international climate conference COP 30 in November in the Amazonian city of Belem, the AP notes.