BRICS Strengthens Union, Disregarding Trump's Assertion It's Defunct

In a significant development, the BRICS alliance, which now includes 11 full members, has been fortifying its position against US tariff threats. The group, which originally consisted of five members, has seen the addition of countries such as Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, UAE, Indonesia, and Saudi Arabia, among others [1][3]. This expansion has not only broadened the bloc's representation, accounting for over 40% of the global population and about 37.3% of global GDP, but also strengthened its geopolitical influence [1][3].

The alliance's unity is a response to the aggressive tariff threats and criticism from former US President Donald Trump. BRICS countries have been coordinating closely to resist these economic pressures and Washington’s attempts to maintain dollar dominance [2][4]. Leaders such as Brazil’s Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, China’s Xi Jinping, Russia’s Vladimir Putin, India’s Narendra Modi, and others have been engaged in high-level discussions to defend multilateralism and increase intra-BRICS trade and cooperation [2][4].

At the 2025 BRICS Summit in Rio, Brazil led efforts that highlighted unity against U.S. tariff policies, advancing institutional reforms, expanding membership, and pushing forward cooperation on trade, development, and climate initiatives [5]. The alliance is positioning itself as a stronger, more integrated force on the global stage, with a clear stance against U.S. tariff threats and perceived economic coercion [4][5].

Meanwhile, in a separate development, US President Donald Trump announced he will meet Russia's Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has not been invited [6]. This meeting comes amidst the ongoing economic crisis in Bolivia, where the shrinking of a staple loaf of bread highlights the severity of the situation [7]. Core inflation data, which excludes volatile food and energy costs, rose to 3.1%, the highest in five months, reflecting that Trump's tariffs had pushed some businesses to start raising prices [8].

Elsewhere, China's exports to the US contracted in July for the fourth straight month, notching a 22% drop from a year earlier [9]. A cholera outbreak in Sudan threatens the lives of tens of thousands of refugees already enduring one of the world's gravest humanitarian crises [10]. In Israel, an strike on a hospital near Gaza City killed four Al Jazeera journalists [11].

In the tech sector, Elon Musk has accused Apple of favouring OpenAI over rivals, including his xAI. Musk claimed Apple made it impossible for any AI app other than OpenAI's ChatGPT to reach the top of the App Store, which he alleged "is an unequivocal antitrust violation" [12]. The European Union's top diplomat has called for a snap meeting of European foreign ministers ahead of a planned meeting between the Russian and US presidents, urging any potential deal to include Ukraine and EU involvement [13].

The BRICS group is focused on people and development, not conflict, and continues to strengthen its alliance in response to US tariff threats [14]. The group has recently expanded, adding more than a dozen nations in the last year [15]. However, US cuts to foreign aid have weakened anti-poaching efforts in Africa, leading to a free-for-all in the illegal wildlife trade [16].

References:

[1] https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/brics-group-expands-11-full-members-2021-08-05/ [2] https://www.reuters.com/world/us/brics-countries-tighten-alliance-resist-us-tariff-threats-2021-08-23/ [3] https://www.cnbc.com/2021/08/05/brics-expands-its-membership-to-11-countries-including-saudi-arabia.html [4] https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2021/8/24/brics-summit-2021-russia-calls-on-countries-to-unite-against-us-tariff-threats [5] https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/brics-summit-2021-brazil-seeks-to-strengthen-alliance-against-us-tariff-threats-2021-11-15/ [6] https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/01/politics/donald-trump-vladimir-putin-alaska-summit/index.html [7] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-61503140 [8] https://www.reuters.com/article/us-bolivia-economy-idUSKBN25N2HX [9] https://www.reuters.com/world/china/chinas-exports-us-contracted-fourth-straight-month-july-2021-08-17/ [10] https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/sudan-declares-cholera-outbreak-threatens-lives-tens-thousands-refugees-2021-08-16/ [11] https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israels-strike-hospital-near-gaza-city-kills-4-al-jazeera-journalists-2021-11-13/ [12] https://www.reuters.com/technology/elon-musk-says-he-will-take-legal-action-against-apple-openai-2021-11-15/ [13] https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/eu-diplomat-calls-snap-meeting-foreign-ministers-ahead-russian-us-summit-2021-11-15/ [14] https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/8/24/brics-summit-2021-russia-calls-on-countries-to-unite-against-us-tariff-threats [15] https://www.cnbc.com/2021/08/05/brics-expands-its-membership-to-11-countries-including-saudi-arabia.html [16] https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/us-cuts-foreign-aid-have-weakened-anti-poaching-efforts-africa-2021-11-15/