BRICS meeting highlights geopolitical aspirations, rivalries with West

Leaders from Iran, Egypt, China, Russia, South Africa, Ethiopia and Brazil attend the BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia, Oct. 24, 2024. Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, and Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, speak during Outreach/BRICS Plus format session at BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia, Oct. 24, 2024.

While U.S. officials express the view that the BRICS grouping meeting in the Russian city of Kazan is not evolving into a geopolitical rival, analysts say BRICS members are working on issues that could further decouple them from Western influences.