The decisions taken this week at the Brics summit regarding the war between Russia and Ukraine could have an impact on the countries’ relationship with the West, according to experts consulted by the CNN .
According to Guilherme Casarões, a professor at the Business Administration School of the Getulio Vargas Foundation (FGV), the result of the meeting will show the path that the Brics will follow from now on. Currently, the bloc is formed by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
Casarões explains that when the Brics was formed in 2006, even without South Africa, the economy was the main topic discussed, at the “moment when the collective demand was to broaden its voice in the negotiations on the international financial architecture”.
And, since then, it is not clear if the group will remain as a platform for economic alignment or, if now with the war in Ukraine involving one of its members, the Brics will become “a forum of a political nature, of broader political articulation, more specific political position”.
In other words: the bloc’s attitude towards the war tends to influence the international community’s perception of the countries involved, “especially in the West”, where there is greater distrust, according to the expert.
Earlier this month, China’s top diplomat Wang Yi reiterated that Beijing remains “impartial”, a day after a Chinese delegation attended international talks on ending the conflict that included Kiev but not Moscow.
Wang stressed to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov that China and Russia are “good friends and reliable partners”.
“In the Ukraine crisis, China will maintain an independent and impartial position, issue an objective and rational voice, actively promote peace talks, and strive to seek a political solution at any international multilateral occasion,” Wang said, according to a reading. released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China.
According to the professor of International Relations at the IBMEC in Belo Horizonte, Christopher Mendonça, “the summit will be carefully observed by the international community”.
“Certainly, any action favorable to the Russians will have direct impacts on the position of Western nations. Although the Brics countries are defenders of a context of peace, the option of keeping the Russians close can be read as a disagreement with the movements of the West in favor of Ukraine”, mentions Mendonça.
For him, even though China has shown itself to be against the conflict, the country “prefers to remain alongside the Russians in the defense of its essential prerogatives, among which the protection of its own territory stands out”.
On August 15, Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu explained that attempts to “use Taiwan to contain China would certainly end in failure,” according to the state news agency Xinhua.
Li’s comments echoed earlier statements by Chinese officials, but the location of his speech was significant and symbolic given Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
VIDEO – China and Russia push for Brics expansion
Peace agreement
The members of the Brics would not be willing, for economic and geopolitical reasons, to take sides in the war, in the opinion of Clayton Pegoraro, professor of the master’s degree in Economics and Markets at Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie.
In Christopher Mendonça’s evaluation, even if the countries are defenders of a context of peace, the option of keeping the Russians close can be read as a disagreement with the movements of the West in favor of Ukraine.
VIDEO – Analysis: The Brics and the diplomatic solution to the war in Ukraine
Ukraine wants Lula to put pressure on Russia
The government of Ukraine wants President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) to take advantage of the Brics summit to pressure Russia to end the war in Eastern Europe.
This statement was made by Ambassador Ruslan Spirin, President Volodymyr Zelensky’s special envoy for Latin America, in an exclusive interview with CNN .
“We are looking for peace, so all your influence, your friendship and your relationship [do Brasil com a Rússia] should be used to influence Putin’s brain, explaining that he cannot violate international rules and international law, that he has to withdraw his troops from the territory of another sovereign country,” Spirin said.
The ambassador, however, admits that he has doubts whether such a message will, in fact, be sent to the Kremlin.
“First of all, we really respect what Brazil says about the peace process. This really is vital. We need peace, because civilians die every day throughout our country,” he said.
Professor Clayton Pegoraro, however, considers that there is no way to involve Brazil, at this moment, in a negotiation between the two countries.
“Although with opinions and public statements by our current president, diplomatically, Brazil has always been neutral and with a pacifying position”, he exemplifies.
Guilherme Casarões assesses that if one considers the trajectory of the Brics since the Crimean conflict, in 2014, the tendency is for the final document of the meeting to either avoid or mention the Ukrainian issue from a perspective of neutrality.
“Something along the lines of seeking peace in Eastern Europe is likely to be said, or something like that. There will hardly be an open condemnation of NATO [Organização do Tratado do Atlântico Norte] much less a condemnation of Russia, which is part of the bloc”, reports Casarões.
“There is no total alignment of positions. Brazil, India and South Africa must maintain an attitude of neutrality, not wanting to close doors to interaction with NATO and, of course, with the Ukrainian government itself”, he concludes.
See also: Brazilian businessmen will bring demands to the Brics
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
