The ties that bind: reassessing the political significance of the BRICS amid Russia’s War on Ukraine

Many have dismissed the BRICS as merely a ‘mirage’, questioning their ability to translate economic might into collective power in international politics. As this article shows, however, the significance of the BRICS as a political force was strikingly demonstrated amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The BRICS coalesced around Russia, undermining international efforts to isolate and ostracize Putin, while refusing to condemn Russia’s military aggression or to join Western sanctions. Rather than fading into irrelevance as many predicted, the BRICS have experienced a resurgence amid growing geopolitical tensions. When the group was created, many hoped it would serve as a counterweight to the G7 and help democratize the global order by giving greater voice and influence to the Global South. Instead, the group’s response to the Ukraine war suggests that it is increasingly undermining rather than strengthening core principles of the liberal international order.