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The leaders of the expanded BRICS alliance gathered in Brazil on July 6 and 7, 2025, to attend the 17th BRICS Summit. This year BRICS summit comes at a time as the group seeks to redefine global governance in the face of mounting Western pressure.

The BRICS leadership convened amid renewed tariff threats from U.S. President Donald Trump and ongoing global unrest, ranging from regional wars and trade tensions to artificial intelligence governance and climate change negotiations.

Hosted by Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in Rio de Janeiro, the two-day gathering brought together representatives from the 11-member bloc, which now includes Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Indonesia, in addition to the original five members: Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.

Challenging the global order

In his opening remarks, Lula declared, “We are witnessing the unparalleled collapse of multilateralism,” warning that if global institutions failed to adapt to a multipolar world, BRICS would have to take the lead. “If international governance does not reflect the new multipolar reality of the 21st century, it is up to BRICS to help bring it up to date,” he said.

Commenting on Trump’s tariffs at the end of the BRICS summit, “The world has changed. We don’t want an emperor.” Speaking on BRICS, he said “This is a set of countries that wants to find another way of organizing the world from the economic perspective,” adding “I think that’s why the BRICS are making people uncomfortable.”

Lula also leveled criticism at the NATO military alliance, which recently set a new defense spending target of 5% of GDP. He accused the alliance of exacerbating the global arms race, calling for a shift in priorities toward social development, climate action, and equitable trade.

Trump’s tariff threats

President Donald Trump’s comments loomed large over the summit. Just hours before the gathering commenced, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform: “Any Country aligning itself with the Anti-American policies of BRICS, will be charged an ADDITIONAL 10% Tariff. There will be no exceptions to this policy.” He also threatened that tariffs of up to 50% could be imposed by August 1 unless countries reached trade deals with Washington.

JUST IN: 🇧🇷🇺🇸 Brazilian President Lula slams President Trump for threatening BRICS with tariffs.

“It is not responsible or serious…for him to be threatening the world on the internet.”

“We are sovereign nations. If he thinks he can impose tariffs, we can too.” pic.twitter.com/l7AKl4OJuu

— BRICS News (@BRICSinfo) July 7, 2025

BRICS members swiftly responded, condemning what they described as “indiscriminate” and “unilateral” tariff actions by the United States. A joint statement read, “We voice serious concerns about the rise of unilateral tariff and non-tariff measures which distort trade and are inconsistent with WTO rules. Such measures are affecting prospects for global economic development.”

Trump did not specify what constituted “anti-American policies,” but his remarks appear to reflect growing concern in Washington over the BRICS bloc’s rising influence, particularly as it seeks to reshape the global financial and political landscape.

Xi and Putin skip the summit

In a notable deviation from tradition, Chinese President Xi Jinping did not attend the summit in person. This was the first time he had missed a BRICS gathering since becoming leader in 2012. Chinese Premier Li Qiang attended in his place. No official explanation was given by Beijing.

Russian President Vladimir Putin also skipped the meeting, participating via videoconference instead. Some analysts believe Putin’s absence is because, as a member of the International Criminal Court, Brazil would have been obliged to arrest Putin if he had entered the country due to his indictment related to the Ukraine war.

Despite his absence, Putin delivered televised remarks, stating, “Everything indicates that the model of liberal globalization is becoming obsolete. The center of business activity is shifting towards the emerging markets.” He called for greater cooperation in energy, logistics, trade, and finance among member states.

BRICS condemns violence in Kashmir, Gaza, and Iran

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasized BRICS’ role in leading the Global South and condemned terrorism following the April 22 attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, that left 26 dead. The group’s joint declaration read: “We condemn in the strongest terms the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir on 22 April 2025. We reaffirm our commitment to combating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including the cross-border movement of terrorists, terrorism financing, and safe havens.”

BRICS leaders also criticized Israeli and U.S. military strikes on Iran and expressed alarm over the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza. “We reiterate our grave concern about the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, with the resumption of continuous Israeli attacks against Gaza and obstruction of the entry of humanitarian aid into the territory,” the statement added.

Joint Declaration: 126 Commitments for a Just World Order

On Saturday, BRICS leaders signed the Joint Declaration of the 17th BRICS Summit, titled “Strengthening Global South Cooperation for More Inclusive and Sustainable Governance.” The document outlines dozens of commitments aimed at transforming global governance and economic equity.

A key excerpt from the declaration reads: “We want to reaffirm our commitment to the BRICS spirit of mutual respect and understanding, sovereign equality, solidarity, democracy, openness, inclusion, collaboration, and consensus.”

The leaders vowed to promote a fairer, more representative international order and a revitalized multilateral system, grounded in respect for sovereignty, international law, and the principles enshrined in the UN Charter.

The declaration emphasized the need for developing countries, especially in Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean, to have a stronger voice in global institutions.

Environmental ambitions

Climate policy featured prominently on the joint declaration, especially in the lead-up to COP30, which Brazil will host. The bloc endorsed the Tropical Forest Forever Fund (TFFF) as a tool to finance tropical forest preservation and accelerate climate action.

The leaders signed a Climate Framework Declaration, stating: “With the collective scale of the BRICS, we will combat the climate crisis while making our economies stronger and fairer.”

Artificial Intelligence and health care

For the first time, artificial intelligence governance featured as a main pillar of the BRICS agenda. The bloc called for inclusive and equitable AI governance frameworks, stating: “A collective global effort is needed to establish AI governance that upholds our shared values, addresses risks, builds trust, and ensures broad and inclusive international collaboration and access.”

The BRICS Leaders’ Declaration on Global Governance of Artificial Intelligence was also adopted, laying out shared principles for the development and regulation of AI technologies.

Health cooperation was also highlighted, with the launch of the Partnership for the Elimination of Socially Determined Diseases, an initiative designed to tackle health disparities rooted in poverty and social exclusion.

The group pledged to promote equity and inclusion in global health governance and reiterated support for the health-related Sustainable Development Goals. “We are committed to actively supporting efforts to strengthen the global health architecture by promoting equality, inclusion, transparency, and responsiveness,” the statement read.

Despite rising tensions with the U.S. and the absence of two key leaders, the summit reinforced BRICS’ position as a critical pillar of the Global South. With nearly half the world’s population now represented within its membership, BRICS continues to evolve from a loose grouping of developing economies into a coalition with the ambition and scale to shape the future of global governance.

I wish to congratulate my brother and friend President @LulaOficial for hosting a most successful #BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro, the Marvelous City.

The Summit reaffirmed BRICS as a critical platform for multilateral cooperation characterised by equity, sustainability and… pic.twitter.com/eGoLYibNaA

— Cyril Ramaphosa 🇿🇦 (@CyrilRamaphosa) July 7, 2025