The Multipolar World Order (yes, it's here)

[Ravenlocke]

Posted by Ravenlocke (here)
From RT,

⚡️ India’s TOP security chief lands in Moscow

Ajit Doval to discuss STRATEGIC partnership and defense ties with Russia — TASS

Russia’s Dep. DefMin Fomin has also JUST held talks with New Delhi’s Ambassador

https://x.com/RT_com/status/1952774293017784710

BREAKING: Russia-India-China relations
Somewhat unnoticed in all today's noise about the US-India sanctions and the Putin/Witkoff meeting is that Putin also met with Ajit Doval - India's National Security advisor, while Russia's Deputy Defence Minister Col. Gen. Aleksandr Fomin also met with Indian Ambassador Vinay Kumar today.
These meetings were to specifically to discuss expanding their bilateral strategic partnership. Relations between Russia and India are developing, and appear not to be affected by any White House attempts to drive them apart. Russia and India appear to have war-gamed the new US economic tariffs on India, and what with Modi's upcoming visit to China, all three - plus other BRICS economies - appear to be coordinated in their responses. Its not immediately apparent if the White House is on the same level. More here: https://russiaspivottoasia.com/the-b...states-europe/

https://x.com/RussiasPivot/status/1953140639711043969

[Ravenlocke]

🇮🇳🇺🇸Indian television on the US attempts to ban India from buying oil from Russia:

This is double standards. India listed a number of Russian deals with the West, mentioning gas purchases, rare earth metal deals, and fertilizers. If you can buy from Russia, why can't we?

India states that it will protect its national interests and economic security. And this statement is not based on logic or hypocrisy. It is based on sovereignty.

India says: we don't care about your lectures. We need to take care of our citizens, about 1.4 billion of them. Therefore, we will do what we must. And this is not only said by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Indian army has also joined in.

@Slavyangrad

https://x.com/Zlatti_71/status/1953518312971022556

[Ravenlocke]

Global South Strikes Back: US Tariff Threats Transforming BRICS INTO Full-Fledged Economic Alliance

President Lula has announced plans to brainstorm a joint response to US trade restrictions with Brazil’s BRICS partners. Here’s why that’s very bad news for Washington.

Lula’s strategy “underscores” BRICS’ “increasing cohesion & political assertiveness on the global stage,” signaling readiness “to actively resist unilateral pressure” & advance “a more multipolar international order,” says Hong Kong-based political and financial analyst Angelo Giuliano.

Retaliation to US pressure may include:

▪️ even more trade in local currencies (denting global demand for the dollar)
▪️ strengthening the New Development Bank and its lending power
▪️ rolling out a SWIFT alternative
▪️ challenging US tariffs at the WTO

Dollar in Danger?

These and other measures could “significantly undermine the dollar’s global dominance,” Giuliano says, eroding the geopolitical leverage Washington has long held from its financial primacy and its money’s status as the de facto reserve currency of the world.

From Economic Partners to Allies

US policymakers, who spent years “underestimating” BRICS & dismissing it as “inherently fragmented and incapable of meaningful collective action,” are now forced to recon with the fact that this is no longer the case, Giuliano says.

“This is the first instance that all BRICS countries have been specifically targeted by a US president” simultaneously, Dr. Raj Kumar Sharma of the NatStrat think tank says, highlighting how Washington itself encouraged the creation of a united BRICS front.

US’ Fatal Fiscal Mistake

Putting countries like Brazil, South Africa & India “in the firing line” of new tariffs in spite of cordial relations with Washington seems short-sighted, but signals just how “rattled” the US is by BRICS’ growing influence, says researcher Ashraf Patel.

“The fact that the US is imposing tariffs on its ally India & that PM Modi is going to visit China soon shows how rapid the geopolitical dynamic is & how strong BRICS’ cohesion currently is,” the Institute for Global Dialogue researcher stresses.

US Reaping What It Sowed

“BRICS has always been about creating alternatives in development finance & reforming international financial institutions,” but the “scale and scope” of Washington’s trade wars is now so aggressive “that the BRICS agenda has gained new momentum,” Patel said.

— Sputnik

https://x.com/apocalypseos/status/1953545437170086047

[Ravenlocke]

EIR’s Richard Freeman nails it: Trump doesn’t need to understand why he’s waging economic war on BRICS—Wall Street and the City of London do. BRICS threatens their collapsing casino economy with a system rooted in development and dignity.

President Trump Directs Highest and Harshest Tariffs Against the BRICS

By Richard Freeman, EIR

August 6, 2025

U.S. President Trump has leveled most of the highest and harshest tariffs—30% to 100%—and sanctions against the BRICS member nations. Trump may not comprehend why he is doing this, but his City of London-Wall Street controllers do: The BRICS process represents the emerging new world order of scientific economic development and the dignity of man. It is the alternative to the derivatives-laced collapsing Western financial system.

We look at the record of tariff attacks:

• Brazil: On July 30, Trump issued an executive order which, in addition to the 10% tariff that Trump had already applied against imported goods from Brazil, added an additional 40% tariff, bringing the tariff up to 50%, stating that it was because Brazil’s government “had politically motivated persecution, intimidation, harassment, censorship, and prosecution of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro” and his supporters. On January 8, 2023, Bolsonaro supporters created insurrectionary conditions at the Presidential Palace and the National Congress. Bolsonaro is now being tried by Brazil’s Supreme Court. The U.S. has run a trade surplus with Brazil totaling $410 billion over the last 15 years, or $27 billion per year, according to Agencia Brasil. The Brazil tariff attack is not redressing trade deficits.

On August 5, China offered support to Brazil, authorizing nearly 200 Brazilian coffee companies to export coffee to China over the next five years, to partially offset the $1.65 billion of coffee beans that Brazil had been exporting to the United States in 2024, but which now face a 50% tariff.

• South Africa: On July 31, Trump announced a 30% tariff on South Africa to become effective starting August 7, the highest tariff rate against any country in all of Sub-Saharan Africa. Trump gave as his explanation his anger that South Africa had dared to take the moral lead in bringing lawsuit against Israel for its genocide against Palestinians, in the International Court of Justice in The Hague. Trump also alleged South Africa’s “unfair” treatment of whites. The tariffs were imposed, having little to do with matters of trade. South Africa’s official unemployment rate stood at 32.9% at the end of the first quarter of 2025. The South African Reserve Bank, its central bank, announced that the U.S. tariff could cause the loss of 100,000 jobs.

• India—On August 6, the U.S. President issued an executive order stating that India will now face a cumulative tariff of 50%.

• Russia—During his first term, President Trump applied measures against Russia, and since February 24, 2022, the U.S. has imposed almost 2,500 sanctions against Russian companies, individuals, and state organizations, with the stated intent to create a “nuclear option” against Russia’s banking and financial system, its industrial companies, and its export of petroleum. Trump has not lifted any major set of sanctions against Russia, has threatened new sanctions and tariffs if Russia does not agree to a short-term ceasefire with Ukraine, and he has not, thus far, addressed Russia’s core security needs.

• China—In April, the Trump administration announced a proposed tariff rate of 145% against Chinese goods exports to the United States; China stated it would place a 125% tariff on goods that the U.S. exported to China. More recently, Trump has called for a 30% tariff against Chinese goods exported to the U.S.; China has supported a 10% tariff against U.S.-exported goods. China is a difficult nation for the U.S. to bully, as its physical economy is larger than the U.S., and it possesses 60-70% of the world’s critical materials, including gallium, germanium, and tungsten, which are critical for advanced products and defense goods.

• Ethiopia—Trump imposed a 10% tariff on the goods exports of Ethiopia, a new BRICS nation, even though Ethiopia-U.S. trade is only about $2 billion; Trump has also imposed a 10% tariff against the exported goods of Egypt, also a new BRICS member nation.

During 2024, the U.S. tariff rate on goods exported to the U.S. was less than 3%; Trump jacked it up to an average of 17.3%, targeted against the BRICS. It will likely cause massive disruption, and most importantly, it will not succeed.


https://x.com/apocalypseos/status/1953541961396498757

[Ravenlocke]

🇷🇺 “Here is yet another piece of evidence of the end of the American rules-based world order.” — Sergey Glazyev

🇧🇷 Brazilian President Lula Calls for Coordinated BRICS Response to U.S. Tariffs

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has announced plans to consult with the leaders of India and China on a coordinated BRICS response to the United States’ decision to impose 50% tariffs on Brazilian goods. He said he intends to begin discussions with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, followed by contact with Chinese President Xi Jinping and other BRICS heads of state.

“I’m going to discuss how each country is responding to the situation and what consequences it carries for them individually, so we can make a joint decision. It’s important to remember that BRICS countries now make up ten participants in the G20,” Lula said in an interview with Reuters.

The Brazilian leader condemned the move by Washington as unacceptable interference in Brazil’s sovereignty.

“This is not some minor provocation. This is the U.S. president thinking he can dictate rules to a sovereign country. This is unacceptable,” he emphasized.

Lula also criticized Donald Trump’s broader approach to international trade:

“What President Trump is doing is essentially undermining multilateralism. He wants to replace it with unilateral decisions, when agreements are made not within institutions, but in personal one-on-one talks with other countries. What negotiating power does a small Latin American country have against the United States? None.”

He stated that relations between Brazil and the United States have reached their lowest point in 200 years—especially after Trump reportedly linked the tariffs to demands that Brazil end legal proceedings against former President Jair Bolsonaro.

“We already once forgave U.S. interference in the 1964 coup. But this is no longer minor meddling. This is the president of the United States believing he can dictate terms to a sovereign country like Brazil. That is unacceptable,” Lula said.

While Brazil is not currently planning to implement reciprocal measures, Lula pledged support for affected Brazilian businesses. He also ruled out initiating direct talks with Trump:

“I will not humiliate myself. I’ll call him when I feel he’s ready to talk.”

Lula added that the United States is interfering in Brazil’s internal affairs, including by tying trade penalties to domestic judicial matters. He said Brazil is considering filing a collective complaint at the World Trade Organization (WTO), in coordination with other countries.

“One-on-one negotiations with the U.S. won’t work—but a coordinated BRICS response could send a serious signal.”

https://x.com/apocalypseos/status/1953385967370555821

[Ravenlocke]

🇷🇺 Yuri Baranchik: Trump imposed sanctions against Russia targeting India

This is roughly how one should interpret the wording of the presidential executive order on the White House website.

“I have determined that the national emergency declared in Executive Order 14066 continues to exist, and that the actions and policies of the Government of the Russian Federation continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States.

In light of the national emergency declared in Executive Order 14066, I find it necessary and appropriate to impose an additional ad valorem duty on imports from India, which directly or indirectly imports oil from the Russian Federation.”

Makes sense, right? So why weren’t sanctions imposed on the EU and Turkey for the same reason?

Because—and this is a rare case—Russia here is merely a pretext, while India is Trump’s real target. U.S. trade relations with Russia are minimal, but with India, it’s the opposite. Moreover, the U.S. hopes to push additional arms sales onto New Delhi.

The history of Donald Trump’s trade grievances against India dates back to his first presidential term. In June 2019, the U.S. officially removed India from the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), a trade benefits program that had allowed India to export up to $6 billion worth of goods duty-free annually. In Trump’s view, India “did not provide the U.S. with equitable access to its markets,” particularly in medical goods, digital services, and agricultural products. Then came the dispute over 100% tariffs on American motorcycles. The conflict escalated further due to India’s data localization laws, which restrict cross-border data flows and hinder foreign companies like Amazon and Walmart from selling goods through their affiliated suppliers. Trump viewed these measures as targeting American businesses “in the strategic sphere of digital trade.” And now—a new chapter.

Russia is just an excuse. The real goals are to undermine India’s growing economic sovereignty, halt its expanding role in international trade (including through BRICS+), and force Delhi to sign trade agreements on American terms. Unlikely to succeed, of course.

https://x.com/apocalypseos/status/1953342040810635338

[Ravenlocke]

From RT,

❗️Modi to visit China at end of August — Indian govt sources to RT

He will attend the SCO summit, marking his FIRST visit in 7 YEARS

Against backdrop of rising tensions with the US

https://x.com/RT_com/status/1953367357973316005

From RT,

Putin talks Ukraine and 'strategic partnership' with South Africa’s Ramaphosa – Kremlin

A busy day of calls between BRICS leaders

https://x.com/RT_com/status/1953508893415419920

From RT India,
❗️🇷🇺🇿🇦Putin Holds Call with South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa

The Russian President shared the outcome of his meeting with Trump’s envoy Witkoff the previous day.

Discussions also took place on further developing the strategic partnership between the two countries.

#BRICSBrothers

https://x.com/RT_India_news/status/1953509422015426764

[Ravenlocke]

BIG BREAKING🚨

India HALTS procurement of 6 Boeing P-8I aircraft after a 50% price hike

— triggered by U.S. tariffs, reports Republic.

https://x.com/IndiaWarZone/status/1953502024814710811

[Ravenlocke]

BREAKING:

🇪🇸🇺🇲 Spain has decided to cancel their plans to buy F-35s from the United States - Reuters

Instead opting for European-made planes.

This comes as a response for Trump's tariffs.

The Trump administration immediately began threatening Spain with even higher tariffs.

https://x.com/Megatron_ron/status/1953169680878747738

Spain is passing on the F-35, looking instead at European fighters as anxiety over Trump has had US allies rethinking the jet

https://x.com/BusinessInsider/status...09207090536869

[Ravenlocke]

From RT India,
China’s Caffeine Boost: Beijing Approves 183 Brazilian Coffee Sellers amid US Tariff Tensions

🇨🇳has authorised 5-year permits to almost 200 🇧🇷coffee exporters, according to a social media post of the Chinese embassy in Brazil.

Brazil sells roughly 8mn bags of coffee to the US annually – which will be subject to a 50% tariff effective August 6.

One man’s tariff is another market’s opportunity…

https://x.com/RT_India_news/status/1952338910895370747

From Brian Meier
Thanks for opening new markets, Trump. Days before the US' threatened 50% tariff on Brazilian coffee is scheduled to come into effect, the Chinese government has granted new import licenses to 183 Brazilian coffee companies.


https://x.com/BrianMteleSUR/status/1952388245473435919

[Ravenlocke]

“Pax Americana has already collapsed within America itself.” —Sergey Glazyev

https://x.com/apocalypseos/status/1953675034297618873

[Ravenlocke]

🇷🇺🇨🇳📞 On August 8, President of Russia Vladimir Putin & President of China Xi Jinping had a telephone conversation.

The two Leaders discussed a number of pressing matters of bilateral & international concern.

http://t.me/MFARussia/25937

#RussiaChina

https://x.com/mfa_russia/status/1953832483948032222

[Ravenlocke]

From Sputnik,

🚨🌏 Battle for global power has ALREADY BEGUN: all out on economic front

The US-BRICS trade war is now one of the KEY BATTLEGROUNDS in the fight between the unipolar world and the rising multipolar world.

And it’s happening RIGHT NOW 🧵👇

https://x.com/Sputnik_India/status/1953841640449151206

🚨🇮🇳🇨🇳BOMBSHELL: The US has just engineered what Kissinger feared most — two Asian giants coming together.

With 🇺🇸Trump’s tariffs in play, India’s PM Modi is set to visit China for the SCO summit — his 1st visit to the country in SEVEN YEARS.

Here's why it matters: 🧵

1️⃣ ONE BIG MISCALCULATION

China’s opposition to the abuse of tariffs is “consistent & clear,” Beijing said, coming to India’s defense as the US doubled duties over India’s Russian oil purchases.

Amb Xu didn’t mince words: “Give the bully an inch, he will take a mile.”


https://x.com/SputnikInt/status/1953838936331039051

2️⃣ UNPRECEDENTED CONVERGENCE

So, Modi plans to visit China for the SCO Summit in late August.

A first of its kind since 2019, the trip signals the healing of the rift sparked by 2020-2021 border clashes.

3️⃣ INDIA’S SECRET DIPLOMATIC WEAPON

The SCO gives India a chance to undercut any perception that it can be ”bullied or sidelined” into submission, says Aravind Yelery, a China expert at Jawaharlal Nehru University.

https://x.com/SputnikInt/status/1953839970373763327

4️⃣ US JUST AWAKENED INDIAN TIGER

🔸PM Modi’s trip to China coincides with a strategic convergence of time & choices

🔸 Until now, India showed the highest level of restraint in responding to US pressure — even as H-1B, tariffs, etc. caused “significant damage” to the US.

5️⃣ WHAT’S ON THE AGENDA?

🔹 PM Modi’s China visit could see a “reset” of India-China ties, says ex-Amb Rajiv Bhatia

🔹 It’s a historic chance to “address the divergences” & ”expand the convergences” in the interest of Asia & the world.


https://x.com/SputnikInt/status/1953839977151807589

6️⃣MESSAGE TO THE WEST

After PM Modi took part in BRICS summits in Kazan & Rio, his personal participation in the SCO meet will send a clear message to the West:

Coercing India is futile and outdated in today’s era of global cooperation and multipolarity.

7️⃣ INDIA WON’T BE BULLIED

🔺 Strategic autonomy and independence of thinking & policymaking are part of India’s DNA.

🔺 India is not the EU, which folded to US pressure.

🔺 India has proved it’s ready to do whatever is necessary to defend its national interests.

https://x.com/SputnikInt/status/1953842982374842823

8️⃣ RAPPROCHEMENT INEVITABLE?

▪️Even before tariffs, India & China were on the road to rapprochement, Jawaharlal Nehru University IR expert Srikanth Kondapalli says.

▪️ Modi & Xi met in Kazan last October. In July, India’s top diplomat visited Beijing

9️⃣ INDIA’S RUSSIA TIES? NOT UP FOR NEGOTIATION

India-US relations have never been “a significant factor in its equations with Russia and China,” experts conclude.

US tantrums won’t change that.

https://x.com/SputnikInt/status/1953842988062273578

[Ravenlocke]

⚡️BREAKING

Trump signs Pentagon order to use military force against Latin American drug cartels, marking a shift from law enforcement to military operations, says NYT.

https://x.com/mog_russEN/status/1953848504004051326

[Ravenlocke]

From Sputnik India,

⚡️🇮🇳🇷🇺 TIMELY TALKS: PM Modi and President Putin hold phone discussion amid US tariff abuse

https://x.com/Sputnik_India/status/1953805954631307724

[Ravenlocke]

From RT,

South African Prez Ramaphosa reveals recent calls with Trump and Putin

Phone call with Trump... 'all about the tariffs'

Phone call with Putin 'to brief about the peace process' and to 'thank us for our participation in trying to bring about the peace process'


https://x.com/RT_com/status/1953842655328145830

[bojancan]

Excellent advice prof.Jefrey... he was always truthful...


Aug, 8
Hindustan Times
8.44M subscribers
Why India Shouldn’t Side With U.S. Against China: Jeffrey Sachs Explains

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=vbybj3MKAZ4

Professor Jeffrey Sachs delivers a withering assessment of U.S.-India relations under Donald Trump, addressing the latest tariffs imposed on India for buying Russian oil and defense equipment. In this candid exchange, Sachs warns Indian viewers not to expect deep strategic partnerships or long-term favors from Washington, arguing that U.S. policy is driven by short-termism and the pursuit of global dominance—not mutual respect. He stresses India’s need for a truly multipolar foreign policy, balancing its ties with the U.S., China, Russia, and Africa while refusing to be used as leverage in America's games. Are U.S. politicians even interested in India’s rise, or is U.S. hegemony a dangerous delusion in today's multipolar world?

[Ravenlocke]

MODI WILL VISIT XI FOR THE SCO SUMMIT

BRICS/SCO on a whole new level. Chinese Foreign Ministry:

"China will host the SCO Summit in Tianjin from August 31 to September 1 this year. Leaders of over 20 countries including all member states of the SCO and heads of 10 international organizations will attend relevant events. The SCO Tianjin Summit will be the largest summit in scale since the establishment of the SCO.

China welcomes Prime Minister Modi to China for the SCO Tianjin Summit. We believe that with the concerted effort of all parties, the Tianjin summit will be a gathering of solidarity, friendship and fruitful results, and the SCO will enter a new stage of high-quality development featuring greater solidarity, coordination, dynamism and productiveness."
https://x.com/RealPepeEscobar/status...42491603497212

[Vicus]

Trump’s trade tantrums and bullying hit a wall of solid BRICS



U.S. power has become increasingly redundant and indeed something to repudiate.

President Donald Trump's estimation of American power, like that of his own abilities, is increasingly seen to be badly overblown. This week, he threatened some 90 nations with tough trade penalties in the form of double-digit tariffs on their exports to the United States. It remains to be seen if he will actually implement the measures. Trump already cancelled a plan to impose worldwide tariffs back in April - his so-called Liberation Day - after no doubt realizing, or his more informed advisors realizing, that the U.S. cannot win a global trade war.

If there's one thing about Trump, it is that he is as quick to reverse threats as he is to issue them. The erratic behavior speaks of the muddled thinking and lack of coherent analysis in his so-called policies. Trump's reversals also speak of the limits to U.S. power as the world shifts to different realities in geopolitics and geoeconomics. The Amerikan power that Trump thinks exists is no longer.

This disconnect was evinced this week as Trump threatened tariffs on Brazil, Russia, India, and China. The so-called secondary levies were supposed to be related to Trump's deadline for Russia to reach a peace deal with Ukraine. Countries buying Russian oil are "fueling the war machine," he claimed. India hit back at what it called ridiculous hypocrisy, pointing out that the European Union purchased more Russian oil last year than India. The U.S. also buys billions of dollars-worth of Russian agricultural fertilizer, uranium, and other minerals.

The surprise announcement that Russian President Vladimir Putin is to meet Trump in person sometime next week, perhaps in the United Arab Emirates, may also persuade the American side to drop the secondary tariffs plan. Trump's egotistical craving to be seen as a peacemaker in Ukraine is such that a summit with Putin may be enough to appease his desire for headlines and a shot at winning the Nobel Peace Prize. His overblown claims about mediating peace between India and Pakistan, Azerbaijan and Armenia, and between Israel and Hamas show him to be driven by superficial success.

The defiance of the BRICS nations this week in the face of Trump's bullying was remarkable for several reasons. It demonstrated that the BRICS are emerging as a powerful, cohesive economic and geopolitical force. After 16 years since the international organization's founding, its leverage is no longer abstract or theoretical. It's becoming a concrete reality.

Brazil's President Lula da Silva mockingly stated that Trump was "not the emperor of the world," and he called for a special BRICS summit to galvanize a joint response to U.S. trade threats. China condemned Washington's bullying and said that the unilateral imposition of tariffs was a violation of the United Nations Charter. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi sent his top national security adviser to meet with Putin in the Kremlin. It was also reported this week that Modi is to travel to China later this month to attend the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. These developments suggest that the BRICS are solidifying their commitment to advancing a multilateral global order in response to Trump's belligerence.

continue: https://strategic-culture.su/news/20...f-solid-brics/

[Ravenlocke]

Swiss-Italian journalist Angelo Giuliano:
Opinion | BRICS united: Lula's tariff defiance signals a multipolar shift against US hegemony

https://x.com/angeloinchina/status/1953646888680665160

https://english.dotdotnews.com/a/202...905321306.html


Opinion | BRICS united: Lula's tariff defiance signals a multipolar shift against US hegemony

In a bold move amid escalating trade tensions, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has called for a collective BRICS response to the latest U.S. tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump. On August 6, 2025, Lula announced plans to discuss a joint strategy with leaders including India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi and China's President Xi Jinping, rejecting direct negotiations with Trump as "humiliating." This follows Trump's 50% tariffs on Brazilian and Indian goods, tied to demands like halting prosecutions of former Brazilian leader Jair Bolsonaro, highlighting growing friction between the Global South and Washington.

Lula's call underscores the BRICS alliance's increasing cohesion and political assertiveness. Founded in 2009 as a loose economic grouping of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, BRICS has evolved significantly, especially after its 2024 expansion to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. Now representing over 45% of the world's population and nearly 30% of global GDP, the bloc is no longer dismissed as fragmented. This action signals to Washington that BRICS members are prepared to resist unilateral economic pressure and are committed to advancing a multipolar international order challenging U.S. dominance. As Lula stated, "There is no coordination among the BRICS yet, but there will be," emphasizing collective strength.

BRICS possesses several potent countermeasures. First, accelerating local currency settlements in bilateral trade could reduce reliance on the U.S. dollar, with initiatives like Russia's ruble-based payments and China's yuan internationalization already underway. Second, strengthening the New Development Bank (NDB), established in 2015, offers alternatives to Western institutions. Third, developing alternatives to the SWIFT system, such as the BRICS Bridge payment platform announced at the 2025 Rio Summit, could bypass U.S.-controlled networks. Finally, a coordinated WTO challenge against U.S. tariffs, as Brazil has initiated, could expose Washington's trade violations. These steps could undermine the U.S. dollar's dominance, raising U.S. borrowing costs and eroding its geopolitical leverage, potentially shaving trillions off U.S. economic influence over time.

BRICS appears increasingly prepared to challenge U.S. hegemony, driven by years of institution-building, like the NDB and the Contingent Reserve Arrangement for financial crises. The bloc's expanded economic weight provides leverage. The timing is catalyzed by U.S. tariffs and sanctions, unifying BRICS against perceived economic bullying. Lula's leadership during Brazil's 2025 BRICS presidency amplifies this push, focusing on multilateralism over unilateralism.

U.S. policymakers appear to have underestimated BRICS, historically viewing it as a fragmented grouping of disparate economies with conflicting interests, such as India's ties to U.S. alliances like the Quad. This miscalculation ignored BRICS' growing GDP share and political cohesion, fueled by shared grievances like sanctions on Russia and Iran. Trump's tariffs, meant to divide, instead rallied BRICS unity, as seen in the 2025 summit's focus on de-dollarization and alternative trade systems.

This signifies a long-term geopolitical realignment toward a multipolar world, not merely a tactical reaction. Driven by BRICS' expanded influence, this shift could weaken U.S. dollar hegemony and reshape global governance. Initiatives like a blockchain-based payment system and calls for UN and IMF reforms signal a profound challenge to U.S. dominance. While BRICS' unity will be tested in the coming months, the message is clear: the era of unchallenged U.S. supremacy is waning. As the bloc pushes for reforms and alternative financial systems, the world order is tilting away from unipolar dominance, marking a pivotal moment in global geopolitics.