Explained: Why BRICS Cannot Be Reduced to an Anti-Western Bloc

Source: The Indian Express | Original Published At: 2026-09-11 22:59:11 UTC

Key Points

• BRICS members hold a range of positions toward the West, from accommodation and autonomy to strategic competition and confrontation.
• India and Brazil do not seek to turn BRICS into an anti-Western alliance and want to operate within the international system in which they seek greater roles.
• Brazil supports bilateral settlement mechanisms and trade in national currencies where useful, but rejects the idea that BRICS must pursue de-dollarisation or a common currency.
• India maintains deep partnerships with the United States, Europe, Japan, and Australia, including participation in the Quad, while also engaging with BRICS.
• Russia and China are in strategic competition with the West but also seek status, influence, and a role in shaping the existing international order.
• Newer members such as Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and Indonesia maintain ties with Western powers and seek autonomy and a stronger Global South voice rather than membership in a unified anti-Western camp.
• Iran is the closest to an anti-Western pole within BRICS, using the grouping to gain legitimacy and counter isolation, though domestic debate balances resistance and diplomacy.