Can the BRICS be considered a counterweight to the ‘global West’ and how to interpret the participation of the UN Secretary-General in the summit: the European press shares its views
The BRICS summit in Kazan arouses considerable interest both among its participants and on the world stage. The organization, which unites five countries – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – strives for the formation of a new multipolar world order that would reduce the influence of Western countries, primarily the USA and the European Union. This summit in Kazan expands the format and includes nine countries, which only emphasizes the ambitions of BRICS to become a counterforce to the “global West”. However, not everything is so clear-cut. Although BRICS does not openly declare itself to be an anti-Western bloc, the participation of countries with authoritarian regimes and attempts to circumvent Western sanctions give the impression of such a course. BRICS seeks to establish a multipolar world order. The European press shares its opinions on whether BRICS can be considered a counterweight to the “global West” and how to interpret the participation in the summit of UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.
Süddeutsche Zeitung – Germany. Munich’s Süddeutsche Zeitung wrote even before Guterres’ participation was finally confirmed:
“Commercial and commodity states with a growing tendency towards an authoritarian form of government, with insufficient transparency, an abnormal passion for manipulation in violation of war crimes of all kinds and types have gathered here. … And the fact that everyone here bypasses the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, who is waging war , despite its crimes in violation of international law, is indicative of the framework of values on which BRICS is based.
If, before the closing of the forum, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres really honors it with his presence, then we can talk about a turning point. The highest representative of international law at the forum of its most ardent violator – the self-discrediting of the United Nations in this case would be ideal.”
Hämeen Sanomat – Finland. Hämeen Sanomat, published in Finnish Hämeenlinna, has a different assessment of the UN Secretary General’s visit to Kazan:
“The BRICS summit is attended by people who are interesting from the point of view of the state’s international security policy. Russia plays a key role in the war against Ukraine. Iran is a party to the Middle East crisis. China exerts political pressure on Taiwan.
Against this background, it is very valuable that the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres is participating in the meeting. This will give BRICS leaders the opportunity to discuss and influence not only their economic aspirations, but also the stability of global security policy. Provided, of course, that Russia will not use the presence of Guterres for its propaganda purposes.”
Jutarnji List – Croatia. Zagreb’s Jutarnji list takes a look at one of the participants of the summit, which is also a member of NATO:
“Russia intends to use BRICS to create a new world order in which Russia and China would play the role of leaders of the ‘Third World countries’ – to keep them as far away from the West’s sphere of influence as possible. … Recep Tayyip Erdogan will also arrive at the meeting, who does not excludes his country’s entry into the BRICS.His decision is passionately sought in Moscow, in the perception of which the entry into the BRICS of an important NATO country would be a powerful message to the West and almost a “big blow to NATO”.
Thus, the question of what decision Turkey will make, whose membership would have political rather than economic significance for Russia and China, became one of the central issues at the summit.”
Together with the European mass media, the Russian Federation also spoke about BRICS.
The Insider – Russia. As The Insider portal points out, over the past ten years, BRICS has not brought any real benefit to Russia:
“BRICS gives little to Russia. Most countries support Western sanctions to one degree or another. The BRICS Bank, established in 2014 for investments in infrastructure, refuses to consider new projects in Russia, citing the risks of the same sanctions.
The same BRICS Bank, which, according to Russian officials, was supposed to become an alternative to the IMF. Moscow is constantly trying to convince individual BRICS members to invest in the creation of independent payment systems, but so far only Iran is interested in such projects.”
