Information Warfare in a Multipolar World

The formation of a new world order in the 21st century is in its infancy, and the growing contradiction between international actors continues to intensify. In an effort to preserve unipolarity and counteract multipolarity, the United States adheres to the concept of information warfare, involving the rest of the world in this process. Conflict remains a prevalent feature of international relations, and dialogue is frequently perceived either as a sign of weakness or as a planned maneuver by an opponent. The purpose of the study is to identify the features of the axiological and technical aspects of information warfare in a multipolar world. Two key aspects of information warfare are examined separately: the information-psychological and the information-technical. The analysis of the use of information warfare tools enables the identification of the direction of actions by global actors, the main methods employed, the goals pursued and the results achieved. The research methodology is based on systematic and axiological approaches, which have facilitated the conceptualization of information warfare as a form of non-kinetic influence on the value and institutional foundations of the enemy. The present study employs a hermeneutical analysis of sources, incorporating elements of lexico-semantic analysis, as a methodological approach. The main conclusion of the study asserts that information warfare, in which the United States remains the main actor, poses a serious threat to the emerging multipolar world and the security of its supporters, while acknowledging their potential for resistance, which is likely to emerge in the future. In conclusion, the following directions for further research are proposed: firstly, the practice of interaction between the allied states that prevent the restoration of a unipolar world; secondly, the information pressure from the United States and the collective West; thirdly, Russia’s transition from defensive to offensive actions in the information warfare; and fourthly, the analysis of new tools and methods of conducting information warfare, as well as other relevant topics.