Geopolitical Struggle for a Multipolar World Order

Abstract

            The struggle for multipolar governance of the world is gaining momentum in international relations. It brings us closer to understanding the processes taking place in the world. The essential content of the concept of multipolarity is revealed through its comprehension from the positions of realism, neorealism, civilizational approach, regional approach, liberalism and constructivism. From the position of realism, multipolarity can be considered as an objective reflection of global development trends. The foundation of multipolarity is the growth of economic, military, political potential of non-Western powers and the weakening position of the United States as a global leader. Neorealism considers multipolarity as a property of the international system that influences the behavior of states. The civilizational approach focuses on defining civilizations as new actors and centers of power on the world stage. The regional approach emphasizes the intensifying processes of regionalization, the creation of regional integration systems, which, in the context of the growing potential of regional powers and the weakening position of the United States in the world, contribute to the formation of multipolarity. Liberalism, first of all, seeks to assess the impact of multipolarity on the stability and security of the international environment. Along with the predictable attitude towards multipolarity as a threat to peace and security, there is another, more optimistic point of view. Constructivism views multipolarity as a foreign policy discourse and project of a number of states, primarily Russia. The findings allow us to look at multipolarity from different angles, to come closer to a comprehensive and objective understanding of this phenomenon. Concerns about the changing world order have grown as we move from the unipolar world dominated by the United States after the end of the Cold War to a more fragmented, multipolar landscape. The rise of new powers – among them China, India, Turkey, Brazil, Iran – has marked the beginning of what many see as an era of multipolarity. For some, this raises hopes for a more balanced international system, while others fear that multipolarity will breed instability as competing interests collide without a single guiding hand. The question is not just whether multipolarity is inevitable; the question is whether it is inherently destabilizing. The history of multipolar systems is mixed at best, often marked by conflict and competition. However, the historical precedent of the Concert of Europe offers an intriguing model for managing today’s emerging multipolarity through the balance of power, cooperation and, crucially, restraint. A modern consensus among powers could help the world's leading states coexist without the endless interventionism that risks turning multipolarity into a dangerous permissiveness. To understand today’s instability, it’s worth reflecting on the unique conditions that emerged after the Cold War, when the United States emerged as the world’s unrivaled superpower. America’s unipolar moment spread liberal democratic values ​​and market capitalism around the world, fueled by the optimism of a new world order. But while the West celebrated the “end of history,” these values ​​were resisted in many parts of the world. Attempts to universalize Western norms—from open markets to democratic governance—often collided with traditional or authoritarian structures, provoking resistance from states that saw these changes as incompatible with their own interests.