BRICS 2024: Diplomacy Between Myths and Reality

PeopleDiplomats ♦ Published: November 26, 2024; 18:32 ♦ (Vindobona)

The 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia, was highlighted by Dmitry Lyubinsky, the Russian Ambassador to Austria, as one of the most important global events of 2024. In his statement, Lyubinsky repeatedly criticized the portrayal of the alliance in Western media and addressed supposed myths surrounding BRICS. But how convincing are his arguments?

Dmitry Lyubinsky has naturally positioned himself as a staunch advocate of the BRICS idea and is trying to present the alliance as a viable alternative to Western hegemony. / Picture: © Wikimedia Commons; www.rusemb.at, CC BY 3.0

BRICS, consisting of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, is pursuing ambitious goals to create a supposedly fairer global order, if the BRICS states themselves have their way. The focus is on promoting a multipolar world in which power is not dominated by Western hegemonic powers. The alliance advocates reforms to international institutions such as the IMF and World Bank to…