Putin's message to the West: his era is over, the future belongs to BRICS+.

247 - In a forceful statement during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), held on Friday (20), the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, stated that the model of global domination led by the West is outdated and highlighted the role of BRICS+ as a pillar of the new multipolar order. The statements were reported by the agency Sputnik International, which also consulted experts on the political, economic, and military implications of these changes.

“The development model based on the neocolonialism of the 'golden billion' needs to be overcome,” Putin stated, referring to the rich countries that have imposed an unequal global architecture since the end of the Cold War. According to geopolitical analyst Paolo Raffone, based in Brussels, Putin's speech reflects a “geopolitical realism condensed in its essence,” which calls on countries to “rethink their economic and national and international security policies.”

Raffone pointed out that the world has been experiencing a new distribution of power since the US financial crisis of 2008. "Today, emerging countries are already on an equal footing with, or even surpassing, the West, either individually—like China—or collectively—like the BRICS+," he stated. The analyst also mentioned the recent statement by the Italian Defense Minister, Guido Crosetto, according to which the European Union and NATO have lost relevance and become dependent on China, failing to establish strategic ties with the Global South.

The Russian economy is surprising and defying Western predictions.

Putin also highlighted Russia's economic performance, which has consolidated its position as the world's fourth-largest economy and the largest in Europe, contrary to Western expectations. Retired professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University and Russia expert, Anuradha Chenoy, stated to... Sputnik that Western leaders have become "victims of their own rigid paradigm."

“The West treated Russia like a glorified gas station, incapable of development, and applied a severe regime of unilateral sanctions in 2022, expecting the collapse of the Russian economy and currency. What happened was exactly the opposite,” Chenoy stated. According to her, the Russian state, banks, and industry used oil resources to foster domestic production and generate growth.

The expert emphasized that the attempt at isolation failed: “Russia turned to China, the BRICS countries, and the Global South as long-term partners. The West, with its unfair trade policies, threats, and use of force, ended up isolating itself,” she added. “I am shocked by the great lack of collective knowledge and information on the part of the West and its institutions.”

Military potential and markets of the Global South

The future of Russian defense exports was also a topic in Putin's speech. According to military analyst and former Swedish Armed Forces officer Mikael Valtersson, the country is poised to re-establish itself as one of the world's leading arms exporters. "Russia's rapid adaptation to battlefield needs and its firm return in Ukraine have put an end to Western dreams of eliminating the country as a competitor in the defense market," he said.

Valtersson cited as a differentiating factor the real-world experience of Russian weaponry, especially in missile, drone, and electronic warfare technologies, as well as its high capacity for rapid production—something that Western countries, according to him, do not possess. Another attractive feature is the freedom of use given to buyers, without electronic locks or restrictions.

The outlook is for a strengthening of the Russian presence in the Global South, threatening the Western share—especially the European one—of the arms market. "Europe may have to focus more on domestic sales, and the US will need to ease restrictions and political requirements," the expert noted, highlighting that many countries are already showing hesitation in trusting the United States as a strategic partner, even with President Donald Trump in his second term.

Valtersson concluded with a symbolic statistic: while BRICS represented only 12% of global GDP in 2000, today it already exceeds 40%. "Economic power translates into political power. And this is the new world that is emerging."