The BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro ended with President Donald Trump threatening new tariffs against countries aligned with the Anti-American policies of the group. Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva called Trump’s comments “reckless” and said it was not right for a US president to threaten the world online.
Trump made the statement on Truth Social without clarifying which policies he meant, drawing swift pushback from Lula and other BRICS leaders. The group’s final statement avoided naming Trump or directly criticizing the US, but that effort backfired according to international relations professor Oliver Stuenkel.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa told journalists that the powerful should not seek vengeance against those working for good in the world. China condemned the use of tariffs as coercive diplomacy.
The BRICS summit aimed to present a unified Global South alternative to the West but ended with sharp words directed at rising US tariffs and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The group’s 31-page declaration made only one reference to Ukraine, condemning recent Ukrainian attacks on Russia.
Iran was framed not for its nuclear program, but as a victim of Israeli airstrikes, while Israel was blamed for the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza and strikes in Syria and Lebanon. Key absences included Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Russian President Vladimir Putin, who joined remotely due to an International Criminal Court arrest warrant.
Despite the differences, Lula stood firm on BRICS’ long-term vision, urging a renewed focus on climate and development. The summit marked a test for the bloc’s future, where balancing global ambition with internal differences and avoiding Western backlash remains a delicate balancing act.
Source: https://www.npr.org/2025/07/07/nx-s1-5459814/brics-summit-ends-with-trump-tariff-threat