Challenges presented by Donald Trump, including tariffs and withdrawal from global leadership, give BRICS countries a chance to build a cooperation platform for the Global South and a to create a new channel for international discourse.

In a social media post on January 30, 2025, US President Donald Trump threatened 100% tariffs on BRICs countries unless they committed to “neither create

One question that 2025 may begin to answer is whether the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) is becoming the new center of power in world politics. Now that the group has added new members (Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates) and come to represent 45% of the world population, some believe that it is consolidating the (misleadingly named) “Global South” and posing a serious challenge to American and Western power. But I remain skeptical of such claims.

ASEAN and BRICS are both international cooperative organizations, much like the G7 - except both are led by non-Western aligned nations. The addition of Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam to BRICS raises the question of whether these groups can harmonize their goals without disrupting ASEAN's long-standing geopolitical orientation.

The West’s dominating influence around the world has come under heavy scrutiny as open conflicts rage on in Europe and the Middle East. Does this year’s BRICS Summit, hosted in Russia, represent an inflection point in the global community’s tolerance for U.S.-led order?

BRICS countries, with a combined GDP approximately 1.5 times that of the United States, can be expected to retaliate against promised U.S. tariffs. These countries — many of which are major traders with China — are likely to make Donald Trump regret his bellicose bullying.

Collaborating in various fields after expansion, BRICS members remain dedicated to coping with U.S. hegemony and sanctions, as well as reducing trade and investment barriers and accomplishing common development. The group’s influence is on the rise.

BRICS represents a major shift in how Global South states are approaching their international agenda, and the latest summit in Russia - amid conflict in Ukraine and changing winds in America - is an opportunity for member nations to play the part of a leader among their peers.

Improved bilateral relations will empower the organization, strengthen South-South cooperation and promote multipolarity in international relations. It will also enhance the status of BRICS as a platform to address sensitive issues through diplomacy.