JANEIRO RIOThe developing countries that make up the BRICS bloc on Sunday denounced the escalation of tariffs and attacks on Iran, but they did not specifically name U.S. President Donald Trump. In addition to criticizing Israel’s military actions in the Middle East, the group’s statement made only one reference to war-torn Ukraine and exempted its member Russia from condemnation.
Two of its most influential members did not attend the two-day conference. For the first time since taking office in 2012, Chinese President Xi Jinping did not attend a BRICS summit. Speaking via video conference, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he still usually stays away from foreign countries because of an international arrest order that was issued following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
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The group’s statement expressed grave worries about the increase in duties, claiming that they were in violation of WTO (World Trade Organization) regulations, in an apparent jab at the United States. According to the BRICS, these limitations pose a danger to international trade, supply chains, and create uncertainty.
In a late Sunday social media tweet, Trump threatened to impose an additional 10% tariff on any nation that supports what he described as the BRICS’ anti-American actions.
The summit’s host, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil, blasted NATO’s plan to increase military spending by 5% of GDP a year by 2035. Later, the group’s proclamation reflected that view.
Lula stated at the start of the meeting, which will continue on Monday, that it is always simpler to invest in war than in peace.
Iran present
Abbas Araghchi was sent to the Rio summit by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, who was supposed to attend prior to the June attacks on his nation.
The U.S. and Israel, the two countries that carried out the assaults, were not named in the group’s statement, which denounced the attacks on Iran.
During his statement, Araghchi informed leaders that he had pressed for a forceful condemnation of Israel from all United Nations members. He went on to say that the United States and Israel should be held responsible for human rights abuses. According to the Iranian foreign minister, the war’s effects will not be confined to a single nation.
According to Araghchi, there will be harm to the entire area and beyond.
The leaders of BRICS reaffirmed their support to the two-state solution, urged for the release of all hostages, and voiced their serious concern for the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
Later, in a different statement posted on the Telegram messaging app, Iran’s Araghchi claimed that his government had written a memorandum expressing its skepticism about a two-state solution, stating that it would not work, just as it has not in the past.
In a separate statement posted on Telegram, Russia’s foreign ministry mentioned Israel and the United States and denounced the unprovoked military attacks against Iran.
Russia did not
While strongly denouncing recent Ukrainian attacks on Russia, the group’s 31-page declaration only makes one reference to Ukraine.
The group recalled our national stances on the Ukrainian conflict as stated in the relevant fora, such as the U.N. General Assembly and Security Council.
According to Jo o Alfredo Nyegray, a professor of international commerce and geopolitics at the Pontifical Catholic University in Parana, the summit failed to provide a viable alternative to an uncertain globe.
According to Nyegray, the BRICS are having trouble establishing itself as a unified pole of global leadership, as evidenced by the withdrawal of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and the ambiguity surrounding the representation of nations like Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. High-level articulation is required at this moment, yet dispersion is what we are witnessing.
Steer clear of Trump’s tariffs
On Sunday, Lula pushed for the reform of international organizations run by the West, but Brazil wanted to avoid being the subject of greater tariffs.
If the group does anything to weaken the dollar, Trump has threatened to slap 100% tariffs. At the Russian-hosted Kazan summit last year, the Kremlin aimed to create substitutes for American-dominated payment networks that would enable it to evade Western sanctions following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Following Trump’s return to the White House, Brazil chose to concentrate on less contentious topics during the summit, such expanding member trade relations and global health, according to Ana Garcia, a professor at the Rio de Janeiro Federal Rural University.
According to Garcia, Brazil wants the least amount of harm possible and to keep the Trump administration from being aware of it in order to avoid endangering its economy.
“The best chance for developing nations”
Last year, Indonesia, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates joined the group that was first formed by Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.
In addition to new members, the bloc now has ten strategic partners, which includes Cuba, Vietnam, and Belarus and was established at the summit last year.
Brazil put housekeeping issues, technically known as institutional development, on the agenda in order to improve internal cohesiveness and better integrate new members as a result of its rapid expansion.
Bruce Scheidl, a researcher at the University of Sao Paulo’s BRICS study group, stated that the summit is crucial for participants despite the significant absences, particularly given the instability sparked by Trump’s trade conflicts.
According to Scheidl, emerging nations have the best chance to react to the summit by looking for alternatives and broadening their economic alliances.
A pro-Israel non-profit protested Iran’s LGBT+ policies earlier on Sunday by erecting dozens of rainbow flags on Ipanema beach. Human rights organization Amnesty International demonstrated against Brazil’s offshore oil drilling plans on Saturday close to the Amazon River’s mouth.
For Lula, the summit represents a much-needed respite from a challenging home situation that includes a decline in popularity and a falling out with Congress.
Prior to the COP 30 climate discussions in the Amazonian city of Belem in November, the meeting served as a chance to enhance climate negotiations and environmental protection agreements.
____ This material was contributed from Tehran by AP journalist Nasser Karimi.
