POLYPARADIGMAL NATURE OF INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC CONFLICTS

Abstract

The article substantiates the concept of the polyparadigmatic nature of international economic conflicts, arguing that modern confrontations cannot be explained within a single theoretical model. They emerge at the intersection of neorealist, liberal, neo-institutionalist, constructivist, and geoeconomic paradigms, each revealing specific dimensions of power, interdependence, and ideology. From a neorealist view, conflicts stem from the struggle for dominance in an anarchic world system; liberal and neo-institutionalist perspectives emphasize institutions and interdependence as both constraints and transformation mechanisms; constructivism interprets conflicts through values and discourses, while geoeconomics views them as strategic tools of influence where markets, technologies, and information function as weapons. Contemporary conflicts are increasingly hybrid, integrating competition for resources with trade wars, sanctions, technological restrictions, and information campaigns. This complexity demands a synthesis of material and ideational analyses to understand economic rivalry within global value chains. The analytical framework enables comparative studies of U.S. China trade tensions, sanctions against Russia, and disputes over critical resources such as energy and microchips. It is concluded that international economic conflict has evolved into a structural mechanism of transformation destructive yet generative that redistributes power and technologies, accelerates regionalization, and shapes new alliances. The polyparadigmatic approach provides a methodological basis for anticipating crises, designing preventive strategies, and strengthening resilience amid digital and geopolitical turbulence. It bridges theoretical fragmentation in international economic relations by integrating quantitative and qualitative analysis, allowing assessment of both macro-level power shifts and micro-level behavior of states, corporations, and institutions. The results show that economic conflicts serve as laboratories for testing new governance models, financial regulation, and technological sovereignty. The modern global economy thus functions as a complex ecosystem where competing paradigms coexist and redefine the principles of cooperation and competition. The findings offer practical insights for policymakers, diplomats, and researchers developing adaptive strategies of economic security in a volatile world.