Neo-Imperial Trends and Projects in the Contemporary Multipolar World

The relevance of this study lies in the development of scientifically grounded understanding of the nature and preconditions of a new stage of competition between global and regional powers in the context of the multipolarity and globalization of the modern planet. One manifestation of the escalation of international relations is the emerging attempts to incorporate the traditions of imperialist policy into the strategies of leading actors in the global political process. At the same time, contemporary neo-imperial discourse possesses unique characteristics that are not fully considered in political science.The purpose of this article is to provide a political analysis of the restoration of imperial foreign policy by leading actors in international relations and to identify the consequences of its implementation for the state of a unified security space in a multipolar world.Materials and Methods. The study utilizes comparative and historical scientific methods. The comparative method was applied to compare various types of neo-imperial projects and the instruments for their implementation. Using the historical method, the stages of the advancement of imperial expansionism models in the history of world politics and in the current stage of political development were determined.Results. This article systematizes the key factors shaping and implementing neo-imperial tendencies at the regional and global levels of international relations. It summarizes scholarly concepts in classifying contemporary forms and channels of military-political expansionism in the context of post-bipolarity. The article examines the transformation of methods for achieving geostrategic dominance among key actors in global politics and the reasons for the emergence of new types of neo-imperial expansion in the 21st century. The prerequisites for the further evolution of global and regional powers' policies to achieve superiority in global competition are substantiated.Conclusions. The consequences of globalization processes are identified as the primary reason for the emergence of contemporary neo-imperial projects for ensuring global and continental hegemony. A link is demonstrated between the erosion of the national statehood model and attempts to restore its international legitimacy by appealing to the powerful foreign policy traditions of the imperial period. The priority factor in advancing contemporary neo-imperial projects is the need to counter challenges to the interests of traditionalist politicians posed by transnational and supranational actors in the era of globalization. The replacement of indirect, hybrid models with overt manifestations of neo-imperial expansionism is argued to be one of the leading trends in geopolitical confrontation in the 21st century.