Surprise!

[Dauphin]

A comparison to the G7 is especially interesting. Why do you suppose the G7 doesn't have more members? Is it because everyone else refused to join? Or is it because it was formed by invitation only? If an invitation was extended to join the G7 tomorrow to every non-aligned country on your map and they all accepted would the new organization be more effective or would it instead be less effective at achieving its mission than it is now? The only way I see BRICs having relevance to the G7 is if it is in any way structured to accomplish geopolitical goals that overlap with all or at least most of the G7's mission. So far I'm not seeing it. In fact can BRICs do anything for Russia at all? Has it done anything for Russia at all? Could the BRICs organization just as easily screw over Russia? If Russia were to use nukes in Ukraine for instance? In fact with no formal organization to either the G7 or BRICS it would be relatively easy for either organization to turn on any member at the whim of the other members. These organizations do not offer security to their members.

G7 is expanded as the G20 (depending on the definition one uses for a quasi-defined informal entity). And the BRICs are part of that forum.

Reinforces your broader point that pitting G7 vs BRICs is silly.

[Berzerker]

is there a reason Venezuela isn't jumping at the chance to join brics

[N35t0r]

Boris Johnson probably traveled there to personally stop that.

[BeBMan]

G7 is expanded as the G20 (depending on the definition one uses for a quasi-defined informal entity). And the BRICs are part of that forum.

Reinforces your broader point that pitting G7 vs BRICs is silly.

Just read they are inviting the African Union into the G20. Russia is formally still part though, even if Putin is too much of a coward to show up at meetings in person

[pchang]

It turns out that trade with non-convertible currencies is risky business.