The BRICS+ counter terrorism summit opened in Moscow, bringing together officials, security scholars, and representatives from international organisations for two days of coordinated dialogue. Russia’s foreign ministry oversaw the event under the theme of national and regional counter terrorism strategies in the face of emerging security challenges and threats. The meeting follows the bloc’s 2024 expansion and comes as BRICS+ seeks to translate its political weight into operational security influence.
The gathering builds on previous foundational documents, including the 2020 counter terrorism strategy, the 2021 action plan, and the 2024 working group position paper. These earlier texts guide the bloc’s efforts but remain unevenly implemented, making the Moscow summit a key moment to assess BRICS+ cohesion amid an evolving multipolar environment.
Composition of the summit participants
The summit convened officials from BRICS+ governments, civil society groups, and academic institutions, with additional experts from the United Nations, the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, and the Collective Security Treaty Organisation. The spokeswoman of the Russian foreign ministry Maria Zakharova referred to the encounter as an outcome of complete study and sharing of expertise in the field of counter terrorism in a broad spectrum.
Deliberate financing of terrorism, misuse of information technologies, spread of extremism and radicalization trends, which were to be observed on the territory of BRICS + in 2025. Theoretical frameworks of fighting terrorism and enhancing national threat assessment were also discussed as well by the delegates.
Expanding membership and operational diversity
Adding Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to the security map of BRICS+ in 2024 made the map broader. Uganda joins the bloc in January 2025, and this increases the geographic scope of the bloc. This accelerated expansion diversifies the width of operation but it also brings about new challenges particularly when the member states have different perceptions on threats, strategic doctrines, and regional interests.
Regional entry points for security cooperation
Uganda’s involvement reflects its direct engagement against Al Shabaab in Somalia and the Islamic State affiliate known as the Allied Democratic Forces in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Its experiences offer practical insights but also highlight the asymmetry between African frontline operations and the strategic posture of larger states like China, Russia, and India.
Implications of the 2024 expansion
The expanded membership tests the working group’s ability to harmonize security policies. While states share broad concerns about extremism, they differ significantly on definitions, operational thresholds, and political sensitivities that shape counter terrorism coordination.
Alignment with global security networks
The presence of UN and SCO experts provided technical frameworks for aligning BRICS+ strategies with global standards while also revealing tensions between Western-led approaches and the multipolar system BRICS+ seeks to promote.
Central themes in the Moscow deliberations
Rapidly changing digital radicalization, the funding of extremist groups, and changing geopolitical realities discussed by the delegates are the challenges in the aftermath of the January 2025 political transition in the United States. Analysts revealed that extremist organizations have been using the artificial intelligence tool, encrypted communication, and decentralized financial systems to circumvent the conventional counter terrorism gatekeepers.
Anthropomorphism that occurred during the sessions also indicated the overlaps between proxy wars and radicalism movements, which point to worries that geopolitical interests still define extremist spaces more than ideological interests alone.
Financing networks and emerging technological threats
One of the common issues was the growth of informal financial systems which were working in South Asia, Middle East and Africa. The cross-border cells of extremists have been aided by cryptocurrencies, hawala channels and shadow banks making it difficult to track and enforce intelligence.
In relation to the financial flows, Russia highlighted that 2025 insurgencies in certain African areas borrowed higher sanctions evasion methods that were first tried in the other areas, thus emphasizing the complexity of the financial flows. The representatives argued on whether more effective multilateral monitoring structures could be adopted without violating the national jurisdictions.
Digital radicalization and the use of ICT
The summit devoted significant attention to the misuse of digital tools for recruitment and propaganda dissemination. Examples discussed included 2025 incidents involving AI-generated extremist content circulating in Central Asia and East Africa. India presented elements of its digital takedown protocols, while China outlined its surveillance-driven prevention models, illustrating a wide spectrum of technological approaches.
Divergence in digital governance philosophies emerged clearly, posing questions about how BRICS+ could shape a unified digital counter terrorism architecture.
Geopolitical pressures shaping the summit
Geopolitical constraints weighed heavily over Moscow’s narrative. As Russia continues navigating sanctions and diplomatic isolation, it used the summit to reinforce BRICS+ as a platform capable of producing alternative global security norms. The Ukraine conflict and evolving Middle East dynamics further complicated member positions, with several states balancing bilateral ties with competing powers.
Russia’s hosting strategy
Hosting the summit allowed Moscow to showcase institutional resilience and demonstrate that BRICS+ remains central to its foreign policy pivot. Zakharova emphasized continuity with Russia’s 2024 chairmanship and framed the conference as a long-term investment in multipolar security architecture.
Divergent security positions within the bloc
India’s growing security partnerships with Western states contrast with Russia’s confrontational posture. Iran and Egypt carry their own regional rivalries. These dynamics influence how each state interprets extremism, making consensus on definitions and operational protocols a significant challenge.
Linking BRICS+ agendas with other regional blocs
Engagement from SCO and CSTO experts added layers of Eurasian security thinking, reinforcing areas of overlap that could support deeper technical coordination. However, observers noted that redundancy risks remain, especially as some states prioritize SCO channels for practical operations.
Broader realignments affecting global security in 2025
The summit occurred against a backdrop of rising instability across multiple regions. The Sahel saw renewed activity from Islamic State affiliates, threatening Ethiopia’s extended security perimeter and the UAE’s investment corridors. Analysts also pointed to hybrid warfare tactics that blur traditional distinctions between terrorism, criminal networks, and state proxies.
European security officials monitoring the event noted the emergence of parallel security architectures, comparing BRICS+ frameworks with NATO discussions on its southern flank. This comparison underscores a broader global trend in which major powers increasingly shape security responses through bloc-based initiatives rather than universal mechanisms.
Integrating new outputs with existing BRICS+ frameworks
Delegates assessed the feasibility of converting the 2024 working group position papers into operational mechanisms, including potential information-sharing systems and joint assessment protocols. While these would offer alternatives to Western-led structures, they require trust, transparency, and political alignment that remain uneven across the expanded membership.
Some experts referenced the 2025 Quad counter terrorism drills as a contrasting model of small-group agility, raising questions about whether BRICS+ can achieve similar efficiency at its larger scale.
As discussions in Moscow pushed through complex layers of geopolitics, financial networks, and digital vulnerabilities, the BRICS+ framework revealed both its potential and its limitations as a security actor. What emerges from this December summit may offer deeper insights into how rising powers interpret shared threats and whether their collective momentum can reshape global counter terrorism norms as the multipolar landscape continues to develop.
