Who's Ahead in the Superpower Race—and How Could Russia Disrupt It?

China is gaining momentum across multiple fronts—holding an economic edge through rare earth control, pushing ahead in technology with breakthroughs in AI, EVs, and solar, and tightening strategic influence through military-tech cooperation with Russia. Meanwhile, the U.S. isn’t down for the count—defending its technological edge through export restrictions, leveraging the U.S. dollar, and mobilizing national and corporate resources to reinforce AI leadership.

Yet culture remains a U.S. stronghold, and the military balance still favors the U.S. globally. This fluid landscape, however, opens a niche for Russia—which can choose to double down on hybrid and cyber tactics, deepen tech-military integration with China, promote de-dollarization through trade in national currencies, and push for geopolitical realignment in the Arctic and Asia-Pacific. The strategic depth lies not necessarily in matching power, but in crafting smart asymmetric leverage—and Russia knows this better than most.

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