‘When Americans Queue Up For Russian Visas, Then We’ll Talk About Something’

The expert explained why Saudi Arabia skipped the BRICS.

Saudi Arabia said that it has never joined the BRICS, although Russia hastened to register this country in the union.

What is the reason for Riyadh's demarche? This and other questions were asked by Charter97.org to Oleh Bilokolos, Director of the Center for National Resilience Studies in Kyiv, former Counselor of the Embassy of Ukraine in Canada and Kenya:

— I would like to make a small digression and remember how the BRICS was created and what is the main idea of this association. At one time, Russia, China and South Africa were united by the idea of creating an alternative center of attraction for countries that were not entirely satisfied with the fact that the West dominates the world economy, finance, and trade.

They have not achieved much success in this regard. We see this at least in the fact that the world economy, finance and trade continue to operate according to the rules established after the Second World War. They are based on Western standards.

After the beginning of a tough confrontation with the West in 2022, Russia is trying to create a political club of countries around BRICS that are allegedly unhappy with the fact that the West is trying to impose something on them. I note that this does not find a wide response in the international community. Russia's rhetoric is aggressive and, frankly, reminiscent of the revanchist speeches of Nazi Germany.

I emphasize that countries integrated into the Western system of finance and trade have concerns. For example, Saudi Arabia is deeply integrated into trade and other ties with the global economy. Russia, as usual, is trying to pass off as wishful thinking.

— Is the position of Saudi Arabia related to Iran's accession to the BRICS? After all, there is, to put it mildly, a conflict between them.

— To date, Iran has found itself in a situation where it wants to join the countries, to feel political support in its permanent confrontation with the West. I note that contradictions persist both within the BRICS and along its perimeter. Yes, it is possible that this factor is also actual.

— Earlier, Argentina announced its refusal to join the BRICS. Is this a strong reputational blow to the organization?

— Argentina is a country that, unfortunately, has been facing permanent political, financial and economic crises for decades.

The BRICS members wanted the largest Latin American countries to support them politically: Brazil, Argentina, I suppose, Mexico as well. To increase their weight in the international arena, it is possible to speak on some political issues with a unified position, but these countries today have their own difficulties.

When the BRICS was created, they said that’s all, that’s the end of the era of Western domination (the Russian Federation does not get tired of repeating), but this is far from the case. The association does not have any serious projects or financial instruments. Everyone pulls the blanket over themselves.

China has its own global project, which is stalled now. Russia also had ambitions, which have failed now. India is isolated. South Africa, on the other hand, is largely tied to trade and economic ties with the Western world and is afraid to make sudden movements.

— Given the problems you listed, what future awaits the organizations that were conceived as an alternative to the West?

— These are not even organizations but associations. I think that until they can create an attractive model for business, people, finance, investment, they will remain a political project.

So far, I do not see anything attractive in these associations. People, on the contrary, leave from there to the West. When they create something, and the Americans queue up to obtain Russian or Chinese visas, then we can talk about the reality of some alternative. So far, this is not visible even on the horizon.

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