Global South: not friend to Ukraine, yet not opposing West

Firstly, the number of participants is noteworthy. Last year, the BRICS summit in South Africa brought together more than 30 leaders (prime ministers, vice presidents, presidents); this year, there were fewer than 20.

Secondly, the status of the participants is significant. A considerable number of leaders declined to attend. In particular, the president of Brazil ("suffering from an injury"), the president of Cuba ("difficulties in the energy sector"), and the president of Serbia ("meeting with the president of Poland"). No comment here.

With the Brazilian president, Putin wanted to create a separate spectacle and hold a meeting of the three: Brazil, China (both of which are among the top 10 economies in the world), and Russia (not). The show titled "Real Economic Tigers of the World" had to be canceled at the last minute.

Before the summit, Russia's chief alcoholic, Medvedev, said that BRICS should become an analog of the USSR and fight the West. However, none of Putin's grand ideas received support. Only a few, like outright fools, wanted to "fight the West," and even the suggestion of such a struggle was quickly dismissed.

India and South Africa were clear in opposing the politicization of the bloc. They did not support actions aimed against anyone. South Africa stated that creating a BRICS currency would be a “political project,” while India insisted that this topic shouldn't even be discussed. Interestingly, even China showed caution on this matter.

Ahead of the BRICS summit in Moscow, a meeting of finance ministers and central bank governors was scheduled to discuss a “new BRICS currency” and a “new SWIFT.” However, China, India, South Africa, and others sent lower-level officials to the meeting who lacked authority.

Only Russia faces sanctions, and other banks worldwide are hesitant to align with it. Any attempts to create a system that bypasses current banking restrictions would put those countries at risk of sanctions too. This would effectively mean sidestepping the sanctions imposed by many nations, including Europe, the U.S., Japan, Canada, Australia, the U.K., and others.

All of this is aimed at making trade with Russia easier? While more countries may use their national currencies in trade, abandoning the dollar isn't on the table. New currencies and a new SWIFT system are primarily needs for Moscow, Iran, and North Korea — not for the Global South, where countries generally don’t have issues with the global financial system.

Additionally, there is no consensus within BRICS on most political or economic matters. Take China and India, for example. With Pakistan wanting to join BRICS, it creates a mix of conflicting interests. The same goes for other member countries in the bloc.

India is clearly against China and Russia trying to take control of BRICS. That's why it opposes any further expansion of the group, which added six new countries last year and has many more interested in joining, including places like Myanmar and Afghanistan.

Brazil and South Africa share India's view on limiting expansion to avoid pro-Kremlin or pro-China countries, according to officials. The United Arab Emirates also doesn't support turning BRICS into an anti-Western group, given its close ties with the EU and the U.S.

Overall, BRICS members are mainly focused on China, their largest trading partner. Right now, China is keeping quiet, while Russia is trying to make a lot of noise. However, other countries know that Russia has little political influence in BRICS, and Beijing isn’t looking for war.

Putin's big show in Kazan has its perks for the Kremlin but serious downsides for Ukraine. Many leaders from the Global South attended, signaling that they accept Russia's unjust war against us, which has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives. This makes it seem like almost half the world views our suffering as just business, treating Ukrainians as less than human.

So, when there’s debate about whether our future lies with the West, East, South, or North, remember the leaders who came to Kazan in 2024 to back Putin's violent display. This event stands on the graves of Ukrainian children — those killed or abducted. It's built on the blood of Ukrainian men and women and is being ignored by those who don’t care about us.

In contrast, the West is preparing to raise another $50 billion for Ukraine in 2025 and is sending more weapons for our defense. They stand politically with us too.

We are part of the Western world. The West is our family, no matter how complicated that relationship may be. Even if they seem unsure or weak at times, they are the only ones who truly understand our pain and support us. They have been there for us during our darkest moments—with weapons, money, and political backing. It’s crucial to remember who our friends are and who our enemies are.

Source 

About the author: Petro Shuklinov,  journalist, Ukrainian serviceman.

The editors do not always share the opinions expressed by the blog authors.