Dissonant Voices? Russia's Space Policy Toward Its BRICS+ Partners

Abstract

The sanctions adopted in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine in 2022 completed the reorientation of Global South powers toward prioritizing cooperation within the bloc that began with the end of the Cold War and was formalized in the mid-2000s with the BRICS group. The BRICS+ aim to strengthen international economic and technological cooperation between members and thereby counterbalance an international discourse considered to be predominantly Western. The space sector represents an obvious tool of sovereignty and power for these states, supporting their economic development, geopolitical opportunities, and strategic independence. For its part, Russia - conscious of the importance of the BRICS+ seeks bilateral cooperation with these states, particularly in the space sector, that will guarantee its political centrality.