In an interview with Tucker Carlson, Russian President Vladimir Putin asserted that the collective economic weight of the BRICS countries has exceeded that of the G7 group. He stated, "And as for the BRICS as a whole - Russia became the BRICS chair as of this year - the BRICS countries are developing at a very fast pace."
Putin compared the economic shares of the two groups, recalling that in 1992, the G7 countries' share of the global economy was 47%, and by 2022, it had dropped to approximately 30%. He contrasted this with the BRICS countries, which had a share of only 16% in 1992 and now surpass the G7 level. Putin emphasized that this trend is not influenced by any events in Ukraine.
The BRICS group, founded in 2006, has expanded twice since its inception. Initially, South Africa joined the original membership in 2011, which included Brazil, Russia, India, and China. In August 2023, six new members—Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE—were invited to join the association simultaneously. However, Argentina declined to join in late December. As of January 1 of this year, ten countries are members of BRICS.
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Photo: official website of the President of the Russian Federation
Based on materials from TASS