BRICS and the Russia-Ukraine war: assessing alignment on global security issues

• Main Author: Goh, Yujin
• Other Authors: Dylan Loh Ming Hui
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: Nanyang Technological University 2024
• Subjects: Social Sciences; International relations; Strategic narratives; BRICS
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/175912
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

This paper examines the strategic narratives produced by the BRICS member states—Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa—in response to the Russia-Ukraine war, which began with Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. The international community has widely condemned the invasion as a violation of United Nations Charter Articles 2(4) and 2(3), as evidenced by the strong support for Ukraine from 141 UN General Assembly members. In contrast, the BRICS bloc has exhibited a more neutral stance, with varying responses from its members in UN resolutions related to the conflict. Through the analysis of BRICS summit statements, this paper investigates how the collective positions and strategic narratives of the member states reflect their views on global security and the Russia-Ukraine war. By examining the narratives at multiple levels, including the alignment and non-alignment of BRICS member states' perspectives on the conflict, the paper explores the complexities of the bloc's approach to global security affairs. The findings reveal that while the BRICS group shares aspirations aligned with the Global South, it struggles with internal cohesion and a clear sense of common identity, limiting its ability to take concrete collective action. Nonetheless, BRICS seeks to assert legitimacy on the global stage by representing the Global South's collective aspiration to end the conflict, even as it refrains from taking a leading role in the effort.