The BRICS summit in Brazil kicks off in a weak manner with most of the member states’ leaders absent

The BRICS summit is taking place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Sunday and Monday, where members hope to present their views on global crises while remaining cautious about the policies of US President Donald Trump.

The Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro, amid tight security, is hosting leaders and diplomats from 11 group members, including China, India, Russia, and South Africa, representing nearly half the world’s population and 40% of its gross domestic product.

Brazil’s leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will have to contend with Chinese President Xi Jinping’s absence from the summit for the first time, with Premier Li Keqiang representing him.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, who faces an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court, will also be absent, but is scheduled to participate via video link, according to the Kremlin.

The list of absentees also includes Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, whose country just emerged from a 12-day war with Israel in which the United States also participated, as well as his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al Sisi.

Tensions in the Middle East, including Israel’s devastating war in Gaza, will cast a shadow over the summit, as will the bleak outlook regarding the tariffs Trump has threatened to impose next week.

“We expect a summit with a cautious tone: it will be difficult to mention the United States by name in the final declaration,” Marta Fernandes, director of the BRICS Policy Center at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro said.

Fernandes added that China, for example, “is trying to adopt a conservative stance on the Middle East,” noting that Beijing has also conducted difficult negotiations on tariffs with Washington.

Fernandez believes that “this doesn’t seem like the right time to create further tension” between the world’s two largest economies.

Brazil hopes that the group’s countries will be able to formulate common positions during the summit, including on the most sensitive issues.

Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira said, “Throughout their history, the BRICS countries have succeeded in speaking with one voice on major international issues, and there is nothing preventing them from doing so this time regarding the Middle East”.

But talks on finding an alternative to the dollar in trade among BRICS members may have reached a dead end.

Fernandez considers the idea almost taboo within the group, given Trump’s threat to impose 100% tariffs on countries that challenge the dollar’s international dominance.

Brazil, which will host the UN Climate Conference “COP30” in 2030, hopes to unite its ranks to combat climate change.

Artificial intelligence and reform of international institutions will also be on the agenda.

The Brazilian Foreign Minister believes that the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East increases the urgency of the discussion about the need to reform global governance and strengthen multilateralism.

Since 2023, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE, Ethiopia, Iran, and Indonesia have joined the BRICS group, which was formed in 2009 as a counterweight to leading Western economies.

But this expansion, Fernandez points out, “makes it difficult to build a strong consensus”.