In global diplomacy, words are usually measured.
So when a BRICS Business Council member publicly said the United States “must behave,” it wasn’t a slip — it was a signal.
This diplomatic clash emerged after the U.S. boycotted the G20 summit in South Africa, choosing not to attend for political reasons. That move triggered unusually sharp criticism from Vijay Sardana, a member of the BRICS Business Council, who said the U.S. had set a damaging precedent and warned that such behavior could undermine Washington’s credibility ahead of its own G20 hosting duties in 2026.
His message was unambiguous:
If the U.S. expects respect from multinational institutions, it must behave accordingly.
This is more than a headline.
It’s a window into the accelerating Dollar Shift, the slow but steady erosion of U.S. monetary dominance.
The De-Dollarization Era Isn’t Coming — It’s Already Here
The U.S. boycott landed in a global environment already primed for friction:
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BRICS nations are conducting more trade in local currencies.
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China and Russia are expanding non-SWIFT payment rails.
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Gold accumulation among BRICS members has surged past 6,000 tonnes, strengthening non-dollar reserves.
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Central banks worldwide report plans to reduce their reliance on the U.S. dollar in the next five years.
In that context, the U.S. skipping a G20 leadership forum sends a clear message — and BRICS seized the moment.
When a rising economic bloc feels confident enough to tell the U.S. to “behave,” that’s not just diplomatic friction.
That’s evidence of a multipolar currency system taking shape.
BRICS Views the G20 Boycott as a Weakening of U.S. Stewardship
Sardana’s remarks weren’t emotional; they were strategic.
He emphasized that multinational institutions only work when every member honors the forum — not selectively attends based on political convenience. His warning was aimed directly at the U.S.:
“If every participant behaves like this, it will lead to further loss of credibility of the G20.”
For BRICS, this wasn’t merely about attendance. It was about the legitimacy of U.S.-led institutions that have historically upheld global dollar dominance.
Skipping the summit gives BRICS a stronger narrative:
If the U.S. won’t fully participate in the global order it built, other nations will.
Power Is Shifting Away From U.S.-Centric Institutions
What used to be unthinkable is now common:
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BRICS openly challenging U.S. decisions
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Nations bypassing the dollar in bilateral trade
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Central banks rapidly diversifying reserves
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Non-Western countries constructing alternative financial systems
This creates a new geopolitical reality:
The U.S. no longer dictates the tone of global finance — it’s one voice among several.
That’s the heart of the Dollar Shift:
Not a collapse of the dollar, but a redistribution of monetary influence.
Why This Moment Matters for Investors and Policymakers
When BRICS leadership tells the U.S. to “behave,” the message to markets is unmistakable:
Dollar dominance is no longer guaranteed — it must be maintained.
For investors, this shift shows up in:
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Increased demand for gold
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Rising interest in commodity-backed settlement
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Greater adoption of local-currency trade agreements
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Growing appetite for digitized and tokenized settlement rails
For policymakers, it’s a warning:
Credibility is now a competitive asset.
Losing it accelerates de-dollarization.
The Dollar Shift Is a Process — And Moments Like This Are Markers
The global financial system doesn’t change overnight.
But it does change through a series of visible, public signals:
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A G20 boycott
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A BRICS rebuke
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A diplomatic lecture once unimaginable
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A documented rise in alternative currency systems
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A steady buildout of non-U.S. settlement infrastructure
The United States was openly told to “behave” by a rising financial bloc.
That’s not normal.
That’s a milestone.
We are living through the gradual transition from a unipolar dollar world to a multipolar currency reality — and every political misstep makes the shift move faster.
This is the Dollar Shift in real time.