In this Issue

Abstract

The current geopolitical standoff between Russia and the West is characterized by unique features, including the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and hybrid and proxy conflicts waged by authoritarian regimes against Western democracies—all unfolding against the backdrop of modern advancements in artificial intelligence and information-communication technologies. These processes are driven by the ambition of Russia and China to establish global dominance within a new world order—a transition that has been underway for several decades. Amidst this new geopolitical landscape, many nations across various regions are reorienting their foreign and trade-economic policies. Polarization is intensifying not only between nations but also among individuals; social polarization has emerged as a top global risk in both the short and long term. Defined as a loss of social capital and the fracturing of communities—leading to diminished social stability, reduced individual and collective well-being, and lower economic productivity—social polarization is further fueled by a host of other risks, ranging from debt crises, inflation, and prolonged recession to climate-induced migration. Rising inequality and a widening values ​​gap pose an existential challenge to both authoritarian and democratic systems, as economic and social disparities translate into political divisions. Growing public discontent with government inaction manifested last year in frequent and unmanageable civil protests. The modern world is undergoing transformative crises; the trajectory of these profound changes amounts to a political, economic, social, and military earthquake. A crucial component of this contemporary mega-crisis is the internationalization of the Russia-Ukraine war, which has laid bare the essence of the geopolitical standoff between Russia and the West—a confrontation that has brought the world perilously close to the risk of nuclear war.