Western countries perceive BRICS through a confrontational lens and will never seek membership in the group, according to Pavel Knyazev, Ambassador at Large of Russia's Foreign Ministry and Russia's BRICS Sous-Sherpa.
"Let's be clear: no Western nation will ever join BRICS," Knyazev stated during a Valdai Club discussion. "The privileged minority of developed economies continues to resist multipolarity, clinging to the comfort of a unipolar world and their historical dominance."
The diplomat pointed to recent Western media coverage as evidence that BRICS is consistently framed as an adversarial bloc. "They operate under a Cold War mentality where anyone not with them is against them," he noted. "This zero-sum thinking has become ingrained in Western political culture, fueling their suspicion and driving efforts to undermine the group."
Knyazev emphasized that BRICS represents a different approach to international relations. "We're not an alliance against anyone. Our strength lies in constructive dialogue and cooperation — and that's precisely what worries our opponents."
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Russian Foreign Ministry
Based on materials from TASS