Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva speaks through the BRICS Summit, on the Museum of Trendy Artwork in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on July 6, 2025.
Ricardo Moraes | Reuters
The BRICS bloc of creating nations on Sunday condemned the rise in tariffs and assaults on Iran, however kept away from naming U.S. President Donald Trump. The group’s declaration, which additionally took goal at Israel’s navy actions within the Center East, additionally spared its member Russia from criticism and talked about war-torn Ukraine simply as soon as.
The 2-day summit was marked by the absence of two of its strongest members. China’s President Xi Jinping didn’t attend a BRICS summit for the primary time since he grew to become his nation’s chief in 2012. Russian President Vladimir Putin, who spoke through videoconference, continues to principally keep away from touring overseas as a consequence of a world arrest warrant issued after Russia invaded Ukraine.
In an oblique swipe on the U.S., the group’s declaration raised “severe issues” in regards to the rise of tariffs which it mentioned have been “inconsistent with WTO (World Commerce Group) guidelines.” The BRICS added that these restrictions “threaten to scale back world commerce, disrupt world provide chains, and introduce uncertainty.”
Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who hosted the summit, criticized NATO’s choice to hike navy spending by 5% of GDP yearly by 2035. That sentiment was later echoed within the group’s declaration.
“It’s all the time simpler to put money into struggle than in peace,” Lula mentioned on the opening of the summit, which is scheduled to proceed on Monday.
Iran in attendance
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, who was anticipated to attend the summit earlier than the assaults on his nation in June, despatched his overseas minister, Abbas Araghchi, to the assembly in Rio.
The group’s declaration criticized the assaults on Iran with out mentioning the U.S. or Israel, the 2 nations that carried out them.
In his speech, Araghchi knowledgeable leaders that he had advocated for each member of the United Nations to strongly condemn Israel. He added Israel and the U.S. must be accountable for rights violations. The Iranian overseas minister mentioned the aftermath of the struggle “won’t be restricted” to 1 nation.
“Your entire area and past shall be broken,” Araghchi mentioned.
BRICS leaders expressed “grave concern” for the humanitarian scenario in Gaza, known as for the discharge of all hostages, a return to the negotiating desk and reaffirmed their dedication to the two-state resolution.
Later, Iran’s Araghchi acknowledged in a separate message on the messaging app Telegram that his authorities had expressed reservations relating to a two-state resolution in a word, saying it will not work “simply because it has not labored prior to now.”
Additionally on Telegram, Russia’s overseas ministry in one other assertion named the U.S. and Israel, and condemned the “unprovoked navy strikes” in opposition to Iran.
Russian President Vladimir Putin participates within the BRICS Summit, held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, through videolink from Moscow, Russia, on July 6, 2025.
Mikhail Metzel | Through Reuters
Russia spared
The group’s 31-page declaration mentions Ukraine simply as soon as, whereas condemning “within the strongest phrases” latest Ukrainian assaults on Russia.
“We recall our nationwide positions in regards to the battle in Ukraine as expressed within the acceptable fora, together with the U.N. Safety Council and the U.N. Normal Meeting,” the group mentioned.
João Alfredo Nyegray, a world enterprise and geopolitics professor on the Pontifical Catholic College in Parana, mentioned the summit may have performed a job in exhibiting a substitute for an unstable world, nevertheless it will not accomplish that.
“The withdrawal of Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and the uncertainty in regards to the stage of illustration for international locations like Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE are confirming the issue for the BRICS to determine themselves as a cohesive pole of world management,” Nyegray mentioned. “This second calls for high-level articulation, however we are literally seeing dispersion.”
Keep away from Trump’s tariffs
Whereas Lula advocated on Sunday for reforming Western-led world establishments, Brazil sought to keep away from changing into a goal of upper tariffs.
Trump has threatened to impose 100% tariffs in opposition to the bloc if it takes any steps to undermine the greenback. Final 12 months, on the summit hosted by Russia in Kazan, the Kremlin sought to develop options to U.S.-dominated fee techniques, which might enable it to dodge Western sanctions imposed after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022
Brazil determined to deal with much less controversial points within the summit, similar to selling commerce relations between members and world well being, after Trump returned to the White Home, mentioned Ana Garcia, a professor on the Rio de Janeiro Federal Rural College.
“Brazil desires the least quantity of injury potential and to keep away from drawing the eye of the Trump administration to forestall any sort of danger to the Brazilian financial system,” Garcia mentioned.
‘Greatest alternative for rising international locations’
BRICS was based by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, however the group final 12 months expanded to incorporate Indonesia, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates.
In addition to new members, the bloc has 10 strategic companion international locations, a class created finally 12 months’s summit that features Belarus, Cuba and Vietnam.
That fast growth led Brazil to place housekeeping points — formally termed institutional improvement — on the agenda to raised combine new members and enhance inner cohesion.
Regardless of notable absences, the summit is essential for attendees, particularly within the context of instability provoked by Trump’s tariff wars, mentioned Bruce Scheidl, a researcher on the College of Sao Paulo’s BRICS research group.
“The summit presents the very best alternative for rising international locations to reply, within the sense of searching for options and diversifying their financial partnerships,” Scheidl mentioned.
Earlier on Sunday, a pro-Israel non-profit positioned dozens of rainbow flags on Ipanema seaside to protest Iran’s insurance policies relating to LGBT+ folks. On Saturday, human rights group Amnesty Worldwide protested Brazil’s plans for offshore oil drilling close to the mouth of the Amazon River.
For Lula, the summit is a welcome pause from a tough home state of affairs, marked by a drop in recognition and battle with Congress.
The assembly was additionally a chance to advance local weather negotiations and commitments on defending the setting earlier than November’s COP 30 local weather talks within the Amazonian metropolis of Belem.