BRICS expansion: A warning to the US, but not a ‘new Cold War’ | Politics

Last week, the bloc of nations known as the BRICS took the historic step of inviting six new countries for membership.

The grouping of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa will be joined by Saudi Arabia, Iran, Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates, Argentina and Egypt as part of an expanded collective.

But these six new entrants are among dozens of countries that have expressed interest in joining the BRICS. Further expansions of an organisation many have touted as a systemic rival to the G7 seem almost certain to follow in future summits.

As economic tensions soar and geoeconomics…