The Multipolar Mirage: America’s Unchallenged Hegemony in a Shifting World

Raja Mohan argues that the world is not entering a true multipolar order: the United States remains the sole global pole, while China and Russia, though powerful regionally, cannot project power globally or form cohesive counterweights. The multipolar narrative has instead enabled Washington to pursue unilateral action more freely, with allies hedging and institutions evolving around U.S. leadership. In short, multipolarity is aspirational at best and unipolar power endures in practice.