Welcome to the ‘gray zone’ − home to nefarious international acts that fall short of outright conflict

Nations are becoming adept at provocations that fall in the area between routine peacetime actions and open warfare.

By: Andrew Latham, Macalester College, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: March 3, 2026

Words: 1,049

Last Updated: 1 week ago

Body Text Preview

By Andrew Latham, Macalester College

Hostile acts don’t always arrive with a clear signature.

Nefarious actors shape elections without leaving irrefutable evidence of ballot manipulation. Rogue states interfere with infrastructure through actions that resist clean attribution. State-backed hackers can warp information environments while avoiding immediate blame.

Ambiguity does much of the work, deniability reinforces it, and legal contestability slows responses further. Accumulated over time, such incidents impose economic cost and political strain …

Create a free account to access this story and more

Join Plucky Wire to access full stories, collaborate with newsrooms, and discover content from networks around the world.

Email Us