BRICS fills soft-power vacuum as Trump-led U.S. retreats

With the U.S. withdrawing from international organizations and alienating other countries with tariffs, the 10-nation BRICS grouping of major emerging economies has been gradually stepping in to fill a growing soft-power vacuum, particularly among Global South countries. Highlighting this approach was the group's two-day summit that ended Monday in Rio de Janeiro, where member states took a firm stance on topics such as strengthening multilateralism, establishing international artificial intelligence standards and tackling climate change as the BRICS aims to become a credible alternative to the established international order. "This year's summit -- particularly its efforts to align positions on artificial intelligence, health care and climate change -- indicates that BRICS is evolving into a credible voice for the Global South, capable of setting new standards and norms," said Sebastian Maslow, an associate professor at the University of Tokyo.