It’s almost that time of year again: time for the annual BRICS summit. This year’s gathering will be hosted by Vladimir Putin in Kazan, Russia, from October 22-24, presumably with all of the pomp and ceremony for which Russians have long been known.

BRICS is an organization that was supposed to have been created “to highlight investment opportunities, . . . [but] evolved into an actual geopolitical bloc . . .” [Wikipedia, last edited July 26, 2024.] And they have been meeting annually, and sometimes in between, since the group’s inception in 2009.

Current membership consists of the five founding members — Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — plus Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates, and most recently, Saudi Arabia. Their real purpose: to create a new world order, carved in their own image.

And one of the topics on this year’s agenda will no doubt be Russia’s “special military operation” in Ukraine, and the involvement of the United States and its Western allies in the defense of Ukraine.

In these weeks prior to that summit, we’ve heard repeated threats from Vladimir Putin and other members of the Russian hierarchy to the effect that any attack on Russian soil, even with conventional weapons, could well result in nuclear retaliation. Is the timing of these increased warnings coincidental, or will Russia be seeking the support of its fellow BRICS members in its stance against Western aid to Ukraine? We shall see.

And now, another voice — that of Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov — has been added to the din. Ryabkov, who is in charge of overseeing arms control and relations with Washington, was quoted yesterday as follows:

“We must prepare for a long-term confrontation with this country. We are ready for this in every sense. We are sending all the warning signals to our opponent so that it does not underestimate our determination.” [Guy Faulconbridge, Reuters, October 1, 2024.]

* . * . *

Yes, it’s more of what we’ve been hearing from Putin, from Lavrov, from Medvedev, from Peskov. But the repetition alone, the frequency of the threats, and the number of people from whom the threats are issuing, all combine to create a sense that they’re not just making conversation.

Might it be bravado? bullying? bluffing? bluster? bullshit? It’s possible, of course. And I’m not saying we should make a mad dash for the nearest shelter. But we — our U.S. government and its allies — shouldn’t ignore it either. I’m reasonably certain they’re not, but . . .

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/2/24