The Brics group of nations has just concluded its 17th annual summit in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro. In an article in The Conversation Amalendu Misra, Professor of International Politics at Lancaster University, claims that 'despite member states adopting a long list of commitments covering global governance, finance, health, AI and climate change, the summit was a lack lustre affair.’

Missing from the group’s founding members – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – were two prominent leaders: China’s Xi Jinping who sent his prime minister, Li Qiang, instead and ‘Russia’s president Vladimir Putin who attended virtually due to an outstanding arrest warrant for his role in the war in Ukraine.’

In addition, US President and long time critic of Brics, Donald Trump took to social media to warn he would impose tariffs on 'Any Country aligning themselves with the Anti-American policies of BRICS.' His outburst stems from the the fact that the group 'has consistently floated the idea of adopting a common currency to challenge the dominance of the US dollar in international trade.'

Professor Misra argues that the bloc is' desperately short of providing any cohesive alternative global leadership' and 'can only stay relevant and provide credible leadership in a fast-changing international order when it addresses its many inner contradictions'.