Brazil has increased imports of oil products from Russia to 920 thousand tonnes, which is three times more than the volume of purchases from the United States, according to the database of the Brazilian customs. Calculations show that Brazil increased its purchases of oil derivatives from Russia 2.1 times last month, while imports rose 2.4 times to $672.8 million. This is a record for Moscow in terms of supplies to Brasilia in both monetary and absolute terms. The second largest…

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said he will invite Russian leaders Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping to attend the G20 summit in Brazil in 2024, as reported by Toda Palavra, a partner of TV BRICS. At the end of the G20 summit held last weekend in New Delhi, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi handed over the group’s chairmanship to the Brazilian president. The Brazilian leader emphasised that his country has all the conditions to host the…

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan failed to convince Russian President Vladimir Putin to continue the Black Sea Grain Initiative during their meeting in the Russian city of Sochi on Sept. 4. Russia had suspended the initiative in July after complaining that Western partners had not lifted restrictions on banking and logistics. Erdoğan has strongly supported maintaining the grain agreement negotiated by the United Nations and Turkey in July 2022. Since then, nearly 33 million tons of grain and other food…

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has welcomed an independent report that dismissed claims that his government provided Russia with weapons, saying it vindicated his country’s non-alignment policy.  In May, the U.S. ambassador to South Africa, Reuben Brigety, accused South Africa of “loading” weapons and ammunition onto a Russian vessel anchored at Simon’s Town, Western Cape, in December to help it fight its Eastern European neighbour Ukraine.  Last night, during his address to the nation on the outcomes of last week’s…

BRICS leaders have invited six new members to join the powerful economic alliance of developing nations, marking the rise of the Global South in geopolitics and the world’s new political and financial architecture.  Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and Argentina officially join BRICS in January next year – in a paradigm shift that would rearrange international politics, dent the petro-dollar system and expedite the demise of the United States of America’s (U.S) empire.   The move…

BRICS leaders presented a united front at the Johannesburg summit, promising to deliberate on the bloc’s expansion, push for a common currency and reform global governance systems in favour of the Global South. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, Russia’s Vladimir Putin, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Brazilian leader Lula da Silva vowed to tackle global challenges together without forcing members to choose between BRICS and Western political and economic blocs such as the Group…

President Cyril Ramaphosa has defended South Africa’s non-alignment foreign policy position, insisting that it was anchored on national sovereignty and the protection of constitutional order.  He said expanding the BRICS bloc brings together nations committed to an equitable and balanced global order despite different political systems.  During his address to the nation on Sunday evening, ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s State Visit to South Africa,  President Cyril Ramaphosa said the country’s foreign policy was the product of the Freedom…

The media upheaval emerged in the aftermath of Russia’s withdrawal from the Black Sea Initiative, sounding the alarm on the looming food crisis, especially in vulnerable regions like Africa. But, was Africa merely a public relations (PR) pawn in the West’s strategy to corner Russia and sustain the initiative? Russia’s exit from the Black Sea Initiative, intended to facilitate grain and fertilizer exports to impoverished nations, sparked widespread criticism. The programme’s execution and impact were flawed, with Africa – a…

AFRICAN leaders have been urged to speak with one voice, pursue collective rather than individual interests, and work on obtaining concrete results during the Russia-Africa summit that begins in St Petersburg today.  The second summit, which brings together heads of state and business leaders from Russia and Africa, follows the maiden gathering which took place in the port city of Sochi in October 2019. It is expected to be officially opened by Russian President Vladimir Putin.  About 150 journalists, including…

President Cyril Ramaphosa has been called out for caving into United States of America (USA) pressure not to protect Russian President Vladimir Putin, who was expected to attend the BRICS summit in Johannesburg next month.  The West has also been accused of undermining South Africa’s sovereignty and independent foreign policy, by weaponising trade and resorting to economic blackmail to achieve its foreign policy objectives.   Yesterday, Ramaphosa’s office confirmed that they reached a “mutual agreement” with Putin that he was better…