Putin: "Liberal globalization has run its course, BRICS will lead the future"

From Moscow, via a carefully planned video conference, Russian President Vladimir Putin appeared at the BRICS leaders' summit in Rio de Janeiro . In a firm and defiant voice, he declared to representatives from 21 countries that the era of liberal globalization is over .

"Everything indicates that the liberal globalization model is becoming obsolete," he said.

His words resonated in a room marked by diversity, urgency, and the shared desire of countries in the Global South to reshape the world order.

Putin did not attend the summit in person. His absence was not accidental. The International Criminal Court maintains an arrest warrant against him for alleged war crimes related to the deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia .

The Kremlin, true to its narrative, has described these accusations as "outrageous and unacceptable." Even so, the president did not hold back in his remarks and took advantage of the BRICS forum to send a message to the world: Russia is not isolated, but rather seeks new paths and allies.

Putin was direct:

“The focus of business activity is shifting toward emerging markets.”

With that statement, he reaffirmed what many BRICS members already believe: the economic future of the planet is not in Washington, London or Brussels, but in cities like São Paulo, Jakarta, Cairo and New Delhi .

For the Russian president, these changes represent "a fundamental transformation of the world," which must be accompanied by new financial structures, geopolitical alliances, and forms of global governance that are not dominated by the West .

Since its inception, BRICS has sought to be an alternative to the hegemonic power of the G7. Today, with the addition of Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Iran , the group has gained strategic weight.

Putin welcomed this expansion, emphasizing that it strengthens the role of BRICS as "the engine of global economic change." With over 40% of the world's GDP and more than half of the global population, the bloc is emerging as a major player in a renewed, non-aligned multilateralism .

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva , the summit's host, also spoke out. He denounced the fact that multilateralism is "under attack" and that the global institutions created after World War II are no longer able to meet the challenges of the 21st century .

In this context, BRICS presents itself as an alternative , not only economic but also ethical and political, that seeks to offer a counterweight to the Western liberal model that many countries in the Global South consider unjust and exclusionary.

The BRICS 2025 summit is taking place in a polarized world, with conflicts in Eastern Europe, tensions in the Asia-Pacific, and a general realignment of geopolitical alliances. The war in Ukraine, although absent from the official agenda, is present in the halls, the speeches, and the silences.

Putin, by declaring the “exhaustion” of liberal globalization, proposes a new international paradigm where the rules are dictated not by a Western elite, but by a plural and diverse coalition of emerging countries .

Putin's intervention at the BRICS summit isn't just a geopolitical message. It's a symbol of the dispute over the global narrative. By declaring the death of liberal globalization and highlighting the rise of emerging markets, Russia is attempting to reposition itself as a leader of a new era , even amid the isolation it faces due to its military actions.

History will tell whether this bloc manages to realize its ambitions or whether, as in the past, a lack of internal cohesion and conflicting interests hinder its momentum. For now, the truth is that the Global South has spoken. And the world is listening.