With recent developments painting an increasingly stark picture for the security of Europe, there have been increased pushes for the European Union to defend itself independent of the United States. This article briefly explores critical legal and geopolitical challenges with such a policy to understand the potential ramifications of a European Union army.

Since 2009, BRICS, originally comprising of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, has evolved from a bloc of 10 of the world’s largest developing economies to a growing adversary of the West. With the recent inclusion of 5 new countries—Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the UAE, and Indonesia, BRICS now accounts for a quarter of the global economy and nearly half of the world’s population. This article explores BRICS’ progress towards its two primary goals—reducing global reliance on the US dollar and challenging Western hegemony and the US-dominated global order.