Sonja van den Ende
The Western hegemonic order is crashing. Another world, the "BRICS world," is rising. Russia, China, Africa, Asia, Latin America, and also the Middle East will rise again after the certain demise of Israel.
What Russian President Vladimir Putin started in 2007, as he announced in his seminal speech at the Munich Security Conference, is now unfolding.
I was honored to attend the biggest event towards a new world order, the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia. Together with many other hopeful Global South participants who are breaking away from the West's hegemony and working towards a just multipolar world.
The historic transition has been accelerated by the Ukraine conflict.
As I witnessed this momentous event, where world leaders came together to build this multipolar world, it was exciting and full of hope.
Among other great successes was the presence of António Guterres, the UN Secretary-General. This was on the day, namely October 24, marking the 79th anniversary of establishing the United Nations Charter, which he insisted should remain a cornerstone of international relations in his speech at the BRICS session.
In his conversations with Guterres, President Putin stressed that the West is thwarting the development of African, Asian, and Latin American countries. This is done by implementing illegal unilateral sanctions, manipulating stock and currency markets, and interfering in the affairs of these countries under the guise of "supporting democracy," the Russian president remarked.
The West, in particular certain countries in the European Union as well as Ukrainian actor-president Vladimir Zelensky, immediately condemned the visit of the UN Secretary-General to Kazan.
Guterres' trip was criticized because the UN chief refused to participate in Zelensky's earlier shoddy Peace Formula summit, but he accepted the Kremlin's invitation to Kazan to attend the BRICS conference.
Several European countries vilified Guterres as a traitor and made disgusting statements and cartoons demeaning the top UN representative.
Hysterical Lithuanian politicians made absurd comments demanding Guterres' resignation. This is the level of vulgarity that the West's politicians and media have sunk with imbecilic bad-mouthing.
Incapable of holding an intelligent debate, they resort to ad hominem attacks and vicious slander. Instead of constructive criticism, people with opposing views are ruthlessly canceled, blocked, and sanctioned. Or, in the case of Ukraine, you end up on a death list.
The Western European countries and the Baltic states seem to have forgotten what the United Nations stands for and why it was created in 1945 to prevent a repetition of war and fascist aggression. The main purposes of the United Nations are to maintain international peace and security, promote the well-being of the world's peoples, and cooperate internationally for these purposes.
That is exactly what António Guterres did; to conduct diplomacy and dialogue, something the West has long forgotten.
Back to things that were discussed during the BRICS summit. Many Asian countries were represented, especially West Asia, such as Iran, which is now a BRICS member. This had a major bearing on the war in the Middle East. That Iran is a full member of BRICS is a thorn in the side of Israel and the Western world, which supports Israel's genocide in Gaza, where innocent children and women are killed daily.
Also present in Kazan was the President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, who announced a request to join BRICS. The BRICS forum voiced strong support for Palestinian statehood.
Another important outcome was the BRICS countries unanimously condemned the Western abuse of unilateral economic sanctions, a practice that hurts civilians indiscriminately. Think of the people in Iraq who have suffered over the years from evil sanctions as well as the people of Iran, Cuba, and North Korea, among other nations subjected to Western economic warfare.
Russia is currently the most Western-sanctioned country in the world. Fortunately, however, Russia's strong economy means it is on the way to being self-sufficient. And, of course, it is doing prodigious business with the other two superpowers in the world, China and India.
Nevertheless, the Western use of sanctions was condemned as criminal, according to a joint statement adopted during this 16th BRICS summit in Kazan.
A bitter irony is that sanctions are not only disastrous for weaker economic countries but also ultimately for the West itself. Europe is suffering from its own imposed sanctions. Germany, the former engine of EU economic growth, is on the brink of disaster due to Western sanctions on Russian energy trade. The West wanted to isolate Russia but ended up isolating itself.
The role of BRICS on the international stage has become formidable. About 46 percent of the world's population is now part of BRICS, while only 10 percent belong to the G7 (the big economies of the West).
Another crucial point was President Putin's statements about Ukraine and the unwillingness of the West and the Kiev regime to pursue peace or negotiations. Russia has done everything to integrate the new BRICS members as quickly and smoothly as possible. BRICS is not a closed format; it is open to all who share its values.
All BRICS countries are committed to ensuring that the conflict in Ukraine ends as quickly and peacefully as possible, Putin emphasized. It was not Russia's actions that led to the escalation in Ukraine but rather it was the 2014 coup instigated by the West. The leaders of the Kiev regime do not want negotiations because they would have to lift the state of siege and hold elections. Russia is ready to consider all options for a peaceful solution in Ukraine based on realities on the ground. It is not even worth mentioning the chances of a peaceful solution; Ukraine has repeatedly refused peace talks.
The U.S. and European elitist rulers won't admit it, but the Western hegemonic order is crashing. Another world, the "BRICS world," is rising. Russia, China, Africa, Asia, Latin America, and also the Middle East will rise again after the certain demise of Israel. The U.S. presidential election shows that the nation is in terminal crisis, where reality and fantasy are indistinguishable in the media. It is a grotesque show that is becoming increasingly vulgar and futile.
The grim reality facing the West is declining economies, with poverty and homelessness off the charts, rampant drug addiction, crumbling infrastructure, and huge numbers of asylum seekers, many of whom are illiterate. That is the growing reality across Europe and North America.
To prop up Western hegemony, Western rulers, out of necessity, create enemies like Russia, China, and other members of BRICS. That's because Western elites have their backs to the wall and are desperate. The war drums are getting louder in a dangerous gamble to salvage their sinking empire.