Weaponized Interdependence: Trade, Energy, and Finance as Security Tools in 2025

In 2025, economic interdependence is no longer merely a source of cooperation but a strategic instrument of power, as states increasingly use trade, energy, and financial networks for coercive advantage. Tools such as sanctions, export controls, energy leverage, and financial exclusion now shape geopolitical competition and expose deep asymmetries within the global system. These dynamics are redefining global security and accelerating fragmentation in the international order. This commentary explores the theory and practice of weaponized interdependence and its implications for the future of global politics.