WASHINGTON, October 29. /TASS/. Anti-Russian sanctions have left many nations distrustful of the West and fueled an interest in BRICS as an alternative to Western hegemony, Richard Black, former State Senator in the Virginia state legislature, said in an interview with TASS.
What he called "dire predictions" about the Russian economy amid the Ukraine crisis did not materialize. "Instead, its [Russia’s] finances exceeded all expectations and its industrial base grew powerful while Europe’s has shrunk," Black emphasized. According to him, while the efforts to isolate Russia did affect the country, "it has since regained much of its diplomatic clout by strengthening ties to Asia, Latin America, and Africa."
The West’s sanctions that have shattered trade agreements, disrupted global trade patterns and undermined nations’ sovereignty "have left many nations distrustful" of the West, while their "desire for alternatives to Western hegemony is fueling major new interest in BRICS, leading to rapid expansion," Black argued. Moves to ban Russia from SWIFT and expropriate property owned by prominent Russians "added to this uneasiness," he continued. "But it was the freezing and confiscation of Russian bank deposits that most dramatically revealed how flimsy the so-called `rules-based order’ really was," he stressed. "Nations of the Global South became uneasy that the US and UK might blackmail them by threatening to freeze their own bank deposits," Black said.
"The West’s sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines on September 26, 2022, dealt a devastating blow to European economies, harming them far more than Russia itself. The cavalier destruction of these vital arteries showed disregard for the vital national interests of even America’s closest allies," the expert maintained.
"Together, such actions have left nations anxious for alternatives to protect their freedom, prosperity, security, and independence. BRICS may not replace Western financial systems in the near term, but unless we reform our policies, the US may find it a genuine financial threat in the future. That potential makes BRICS a powerhouse whose concerns cannot be ignored," Black concluded.
The 16th BRICS Summit, the key event of Russia’s chairmanship in the association, was held in Kazan on October 22-24. On the second day of the summit, participants adopted the Kazan Declaration. Among other key issues, the document highlighted the group’s development and its position on global problems and resolving crises, including in Ukraine and the Middle East.