BRICS expansion as a factor of increasing international tension

In the context of the transformation of the world order and the growing influence of the countries of the Global South, it is particularly important to investigate the role and potential impact of the BRICS bloc on the contemporary system of international relations. The purpose of the study was to identify aspects of the functioning of the BRICS bloc in the 21st century in order to identify possible threats to international relations. Content analysis methods were used to analyse news items from Reuters, Deutsche Welle, the U.S. Department of State newsletter, an article from the World Economic Forum, and an analytical report from the Council on Foreign Relations. The opinions of politicians and experts on BRICS were studied using the method of discourse analysis. The results of the study showed that the idea of BRICS appeared in the early 2000s, and the final establishment of the block took place in 2006-2009. Further expansion of the bloc could further polarise international relations, especially given the withdrawal of developing countries from institutions such as the International Monetary Fund or the World Bank in favour of the New Development Bank, which was established in 2013. It was revealed that cooperation within the BRICS framework can set precedents for coordinating votes on international platforms, as is the case during voting at the United Nations General Assembly. A potential factor in increasing international tension is the ability of aggressive governments to avoid the effect of sanctions imposed on them through cooperation in the BRICS, in particular, through the use of other systems such as the Cross-Border Interbank Payment System, and not the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunications. However, 11,000 banking institutions are involved in the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunications, while only 1,300 institutions are involved in the Cross-Border Interbank Payment System. Thus, the expansion of the BRICS can become an element of increasing international tension, but only in the long term, since the BRICS countries do not have a clear vision of the development of the bloc and are in conflict with each other. The practical significance of the study is to assess the geopolitical implications of the BRICS expansion, which can be useful for governments, think tanks, or international organisations