From bridge to bulwark: the evolution of Brics in Russian grand strategy

Abstract

Russia has been the driving force in pushing and shaping the narrative of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) since the group began to acquire a political identity in the mid-2000s. Russia’s motivations for promoting BRICS, however, have evolved considerably over the last decade. While Moscow’s initial goal was to use the group as a rhetorical device to strengthen Russia’s bargaining position with the West, in the wake of the ongoing crisis in Ukraine, BRICS has begun to symbolize for Russia a viable alternative to continued accommodation with the Western-led international system.

Keywords

• Rusia, BRICS, identidad, Crisis Ucraniana, anti-occidentalismo