The West is doing everything to harm the prospects of the BRICS alliance as it makes its presence felt on the world stage, said Russia’s BRICS Sherpa, Sergey Ryabkov. “Our opponents’ attention to BRICS is understandable. The grouping has transformed into a real force to be reckoned with,” Ryabkov stated.

He added that the West is unable to digest the success of BRICS and how it has grown in the last three years. “It has become an integral component of the new, changing world order. But Western vis-à-vis are accustomed to thinking within their own paradigm,” he said.

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‘With Us or Against Us’ Attitude of the West Causing Harm to BRICS: Diplomat

The Diplomat added that, unlike BRICS, the West still thinks in terms of ‘with us or against us’. “The logic of bloc thinking, which boils down to the formula: ‘Whoever is not with us is against us,’” he said, poking fun at the West’s logic.

He stressed that the mindset of ‘with us or against us’ has now become an integral part of the West and how it perceives the world, including BRICS members. This mindset “has not only become ingrained; it has become an absolutely inescapable part of the mentality of politicians and policy-making circles in the West.”

This logic is what’s making the West take irresponsible decisions targeting BRICS, he explained. “Hence the suspicion, hence the desire to find ways to weaken BRICS and hinder its further development. Everyone understands this,” said Ryabkov. He added that countries that show interest in joining the alliance receive hostility from Western nations.

“Those who are moving closer to BRICS see the persistence with which Westerners are trying to undermine it. Nevertheless, the desire for cooperation in this format remains strong,” said the diplomat. The BRICS Sherpa also took a veiled dig at the US and its allies in the West. “Self-respecting countries, politicians who prioritize their national interests over pleasing some guy in some capital, are making a conscious choice in favor of rapprochement,” he summed it up.