BRICS 2025: Expanded Bloc Asserts Global South Voice Amid Absent Giants

The 17th BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro opened with a pointed agenda and the conspicuous absence of two founding leaders, Russia's Vladimir Putin and China's Xi Jinping. Without them, the summit is a significant milestone for the expanded bloc, which has 11 full members and 10 strategic partners, including Indonesia, Iran, and Egypt.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the host of the summit, emphasized the bloc's vision for reshaping global governance and increasing the influence of the Global South. The summit will address climate change, AI regulation, global health, and trade under the banner "Strengthening Global South Cooperation for More Inclusive and Sustainable Governance.".

The mood at the summit is very cautious. With U.S. President Donald Trump holding out the threat of tariffs for BRICS-friendly nations, the leaders are treading carefully. The final communique will probably not be confrontational and will rather reaffirm multilateralism and condemn unilateral trade practices.

Xi’s absence—his first since 2012—was attributed to scheduling conflicts, while Putin participated via video due to an ICC arrest warrant. Their absence has raised questions about BRICS’ cohesion, but leaders like India’s Narendra Modi and South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa remain committed to the bloc’s vision.

Brazil used the occasion of the summit to market its Tropical Forests Forever Facility, which received investment interest from China and the UAE. As the Global South sets a direction for increased leadership in shaping 21st-century governance, BRICS 2025 may be remembered less for whom it lacks and more for what has been started.