Russian MFA rules out BRICS becoming military alliance

The Russian Foreign Ministry has firmly asserted that BRICS has never been and will not become a military alliance, responding to concerns raised in a recent article by The Times.

The statement emphasized that BRICS is not an international organization or integration structure but rather an association of sovereign states on equal footing, Caliber.Az reports per Russian media.

"BRICS has never been, is not, and will not become a military alliance. Moreover, BRICS is not even an international organization or integration structure; it is an interstate association of equal participants," the ministry stated.

The ministry criticized Western media reports suggesting that BRICS could pose a military threat to NATO, calling such claims unrealistic. It stressed that BRICS builds its relationships on principles of mutual respect, inclusiveness, and support for global economic development. The member countries aim to ensure stability and fairness in the global economy without directing their activities against other states.

The Times article highlighted that the expansion of BRICS to include new members like Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Iran is creating a political-economic bloc that seeks to enhance independence from the West by controlling critical resources, including rare earth metals. This development has raised concerns in the West, as such an alliance could potentially regulate global supply chains and undermine sanctions imposed against Russia and China.

However, some experts maintain that BRICS+ is unlikely to evolve into a full-fledged military bloc. The focus, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry, remains on fostering economic cooperation rather than military confrontation.

By Khagan Isayev