- Turkey and Saudi Arabia won’t join BRICS as both nations pulled back their membership plans.
- Trump’s planned return and threats of heavy tariffs on nations moving away from the U.S. dollar have made countries hesitant to join the economic bloc.
Turkey has withdrawn its interest in joining the BRICS economic alliance. Turkey’s decision aligns with Saudi Arabia’s, marking a significant setback for the bloc’s expansion plans ahead of 2025. The move is regaining momentum in light of escalating geopolitical tensions and the risks of American action against countries trying to lessen dollar dependence.
Key Nations Step Back from BRICS Membership
Turkey’s failure to go forward with BRICS membership is a key political twist. Turkey is a NATO member and would have been the first to join both alliances. The country spent considerable time propagating for the membership throughout the year, but it rejected the offer given to it as one of the first batches of partner countries.
Saudi Arabia’s case is similar to Turkey’s, although, at one point, it agreed to a request during the 2023 annual summit. The Kingdom has officially suspended its membership process, thus contributing to increasing problems confronting the economic bloc in its formative stage.
U.S. Opposition and Economic Pressures Shape Decision-Making
The expected return of Donald Trump to power in the White House has brought new considerations regarding membership of the BRICS group. As previously reported by Crypto News Flash, Trump’s threat of 100% tariffs on nations willing to leave the U.S. dollar has become a major impediment to potential members.
As a result of such policy, BRICS has been able to enlist nine new partner countries, and here again, the two most relevant participants, Turkey and Saudi Arabia, are conspicuous in their absence. The block’s attempts to counter de-dollarization have intensified and lost ground, especially considering the possible continuation of the American opposition under the Trump presidency.
Impact on BRICS’ Future Trajectory
The partial withdrawal of interest from Turkey and Saudi Arabia shows the dynamics that countries face in the world today when trying to find new economic alliances while keeping their time-tested allies. In addition to Turkey, Nigeria, Vietnam, and Algeria rejected an invitation to join the alliance, implying that other potential members have also been reluctant.
These developments raise fundamental questions about the BRICS expansion model and its capacity to attract major players in an increasingly polarized global landscape. The circumstances show how the membership of the economic alliance has changed from purely financial aspects to a political stand.
It is difficult to say conclusively whether the bloc’s objectives will be achieved and why its endeavors, such as de-dollarization, have recently intensified.
At the same time, it can be stated that the very potential of this process may force its participants and potential members to rethink existing approaches and solve a number of problems that stem from the fact of their existence as actors in the current system of international relations and the modern world economy.
