Putin Calls for Global Governance Reform, UN Security Council Expansion, and Confronting Western Hegemony
From the BRICS summit platform, Russian President Vladimir Putin called for radical reform of global governance, demanding the expansion of the UN Security Council to include Global South nations. Putin emphasized the necessity of ending what he described as "Western dictatorship" and reforming vital international financial and trade institutions, including the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and the World Trade Organization. Putin clarified that the unipolar system in international relations, which served a limited category of states, is a thing of the past. He noted that the balance of power is currently being redistributed in favor of new growth centers in the Global South and the East. The Russian President stressed that in the context of the emerging multipolar world order, it has become more important than ever to work together to strengthen genuine multilateralism. He urged the involvement of more countries in global governance mechanisms, in the activities of key international political and economic structures, in the search for answers to acute challenges and threats, and in ensuring international peace and stability for the sake of global prosperity and well-being. The Russian President pointed out that those accustomed to dividing the world into a "flowering garden" and a "wild jungle" are creating difficulties for the formation of a multipolar world. Putin added that the formation of a multipolar world is not easy and faces resistance from those accustomed to thinking in essentially colonial classifications, who divide the world and live at the expense of others. He asserted that opponents of multipolarity are unwilling to accept changing realities and are attempting to contain their growing rivals by all possible means, using any tool, including tariff wars, illegitimate sanctions, attempts at economic dictatorship, blackmail, interference in internal affairs, and brute force. Putin also highlighted the BRICS group's role as the largest association in the world, noting that member states collectively produce 40 percent of the global GDP. He continued by stating that the BRICS occupies one-third of the world's land area, and nearly half of the world's population lives in its countries. He reported that the group's member states continue to deepen cooperation in all key areas, including politics and security, economy and finance, and culture and humanitarian affairs. The Russian President stressed that the BRICS partnership is permanently based on the principles of equality, good neighborliness, and mutual consideration of interests. Putin considered that the BRICS group has justifiably established itself as one of the main centers of global governance, emphasizing that the prospects for developments in international politics, security, economics, and humanitarian cooperation depend largely on the group's collective decisions and actions. Putin indicated that "more and more countries are loudly and clearly declaring their readiness to defend their national interests and participate in solving global problems." He reiterated his call for the expansion of the United Nations Security Council to include countries from the Global South. Putin affirmed that the world is currently witnessing radical geopolitical, geo-economic, technological, and social transformations, noting that much is changing, primarily people's lifestyles, the level of healthcare, environmental quality, the structure of society, and the demographic map of the world. He concluded by stating: "We believe it is necessary to continue working with like-minded BRICS partners to improve the quality of United Nations activities. And, of course, this will be reinforced, in particular, by expanding its Security Council, and through the representation of countries from Asia, Africa, and Latin America in it."
