Insights into neorealism's enduring relevance: The grey zone as an arena of great-power competition in the 21st century
Journal: Insights into Regional Development
Year: 2026

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 systemanarchy, the pri