China hosted the 14th annual BRICS Summit virtually because of the pandemic. This event was held only a few days before the G7 in-person summit in Germany. BRICS comprises Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.

Overview of the event. Source: VNA

The online meeting drew special attention around the world, especially from the US, EU, NATO and their allies due to Russia's military actions in Ukraine for more than four months now. The US, EU, NATO, and their allies - among them all G7 members - stand on Ukraine's side and have imposed strong and multifaceted sanctions on Russia.

They have been trying as much as they could to politically isolate Russia on the world stage. Brics members, including China, India, Brazil and South Africa, refused to follow the West in imposing sanctions against Russia and supporting Ukraine. Therefore, this event was a major significant gain for Russia and its president Vladimir Putin. It could show that the West is unsuccessful in trying to divide Russia from other BRICS members, especially China and India.

But BRICS itself is now in a very sensitive dilemma. BRICS couldn't abandon Russia because of this country's military actions in Ukraine but neither could all BRICS members except Russia let Russia use the block to serve its goals and interests in its conflicts with Ukraine and  the West. They have to balance their relationships between Russia and  their Western partners. For their interests, they have to be prepared for all possible outcomes of the hostilities in Ukraine and the confrontations between the West and Russia. BRICS future is now depending on how Russia would be after all these.

BRICS is now in dilemma because of internal disunity in a few but very important fields. All members condemned the West's sanctions against Russia, but India, Brazil and South Africa were not ready to support and follow the intentions of China and Russia to turn the Brics into an alternative to the Western-led global order at this time although they want Brics to be a powerful counterweight to the G7 and become the core of new world order.

But this year's BRICS summit showed that the more the West is bogged down in the war in Ukraine and its multifaceted confrontations with Russia, the more likely the BRICS will expand its influence on the world stage.

Disclaimer: The views expressed by Ambassador Tran Duc Mau are of his own and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Hanoi Times.