Reasons for Russia's choice of BRICS instead of G7 are given

Russia chose BRICS over the G7 due to a loss of trust in the West back in the late 2000s. This assessment was made in a commentary to Lente.ru by Stanislav Tkachenko, professor of the Department of European Studies, Faculty of International Relations, St. Petersburg State University (SPbSU), Valdai Club expert.

Tkachenko noted that even before Russia’s exclusion from the format in 2014, the country’s leadership faced a crisis of confidence and significant disagreements with the other participants, primarily Washington. According to the political scientist, the development of BRICS may become Russia's response to the crisis in relations with the West.