Global Supply Chains as Instruments of Geopolitical Influence: An Integrative Analysis of the Shift from Interdependence to Economic Weaponization

The international system has witnessed a fundamental transformation in economic relations among major powers during the second decade of the twenty-first century. Global supply chains have shifted from instruments of economic integration and peace promotion—consistent with the liberal approach—to geopolitical weapons deployed in pursuit of strategic and security objectives. This study addresses a critical research gap: the absence of an integrated theoretical framework explaining the mechanisms through which economic interdependence transforms into systematic economic weaponization. It does so through a critical review of the complex interdependence theory developed by Keohane and Nye and the proposal of a new conceptual model that introduces “logistical security” as a pivotal dimension in the structure of the multipolar global system. The study employs an integrative analytical methodology combining theoretical analysis with applied case studies of three principal cases: the semiconductor war between the United States and China, the weaponization of energy supplies in the Russian European context, and the global food crisis following the Russo-Ukrainian war. The study concludes that the current structure of global supply chains produces what can be termed “structural asymmetry in interdependence,” which enables parties occupying central nodal positions within these chains to deploy them as instruments of pressure and coercion. The study culminates in proposing the Multi-Level Logistical Security (MLLS) model as an analytical and applied framework that transcends existing theoretical shortcomings.