BRICS Expansion and the Global South: Shifts in Multipolar Influence

Several nations outside the current Western alliance have signaled an interest in joining BRICS as a way to assert more independent economic and political trajectories. Analysts describe this push as part of a broader shift toward a multipolar global order, where influence is distributed across a wider set of regional powers rather than concentrated in a single bloc. In discussions with the RIA Novosti agency, a leading researcher at the Institute of African Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences and an expert at the Russian Council on International Relations, Tatyana Deutsch, outlined views that have been echoed by other policymakers. She highlighted that countries such as Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa are often cited as core members, while several other states may seek comparable status within BRICS as a counterbalance to Washington’s longstanding influence. Deutsch noted that the appeal of BRICS lies in the opportunity to participate in a cooperative framework that emphasizes sovereign development choices, mutual respect for diversity of national models, and pragmatic collaboration on shared challenges. She stressed that these dynamics reflect a broader mood among many states in the Global South that prefer partnerships that respect autonomy while pursuing common economic and security interests.