abstract: Multipolarity is often praised as a more balanced and modern alternative to the unipolarity of American dominance or the bipolarity of the Cold War. But not all multipolarity is created equal. When the term becomes a euphemism for regional hegemony, “civilizational” blocs, and spheres of influence, it ceases to be a safeguard for peace — and becomes a gateway to instability, coercion, subjugation of smaller countries, and war. If the world slips into a multipolarity defined not by equitable coop
journal: GEOpolitics