Received:
2025-10-17 | Accepted:
2026-01-27 | Published:
2026-03-30
Title
Insights into neorealism's enduring relevance: The grey zone as an arena of great-power competition in the 21st century
Abstract
This article offers scholarly insight into contemporary international relations, which in recent years have been increasingly shaped by the intense rivalry between great powers, taking place below the threshold of open armed conflict. This article examines the enduring relevance of neorealism in explaining the dynamics of competition in the grey zone in the 21st century. Drawing on structural realism, the study argues that the fundamental characteristics of the international system – anarchy, the primacy of state actors, and the pursuit of security through relative power – remain central despite profound changes in the domains, instruments, and technologies of conflict. Particular attention is paid to the conceptualisation of the grey zone as an operational space between war and peace, where state actors employ hybrid, coercive, and ambiguous strategies to advance their interests while avoiding escalation. By comparing Cold War precedents with contemporary practices, the article demonstrates both continuity and transformation in great power behaviour. The findings suggest that grey-zone strategies strengthen neorealism's explanatory power and highlight its enduring analytical value for understanding strategic competition, hybrid threats, and the evolving global security environment.
Keywords
hybrid threats, neorealism, security environment, gray zone, cold war, great power competition, rivalry
JEL classifications
F50
, F51
, F52
, H56
URI
http://jssidoi.org/ird/article/238
DOI
Pages
55-67
Funding
This is an open access issue and all published articles are licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
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