View source for Axis of Upheaval

{{Short description|2024 neologism of four nations with increased anti-Western cooperation}}
{{For|the Middle Eastern alliance|Axis of Resistance}}
[[File:AxisofUpheaval Map.png|thumb|{{legend|#800000|Axis of Upheaval ([[w:en:Russia|Russia]], [[w:en:China|China]], [[w:en:Iran|Iran]], [[w:en:North Korea|North Korea]])}}]]
"'''Axis of Upheaval'''" is a term coined in 2024 by [[Center for a New American Security]] [[foreign policy]] analysts [[Richard Fontaine]] and Andrea Kendall-Taylor and used by many [[Foreign policy analysis|foreign policy analysts]],<ref name=":2">{{Cite news |last=Kendall-Taylor |first=Andrea |last2=Fontaine |first2=Richard |date=2024-04-23 |title=The Axis of Upheaval |url=https://www.foreignaffairs.com/china/axis-upheaval-russia-iran-north-korea-taylor-fontaine?check_logged_in=1&utm_medium=promo_email&utm_source=lo_flows&utm_campaign=article_link&utm_term=article_email&utm_content=20240729 |access-date=2024-08-01 |work=Foreign Affairs |language=en-US |volume=103 |issue=3 |issn=0015-7120 |archive-date=2024-09-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240909210430/https://www.foreignaffairs.com/china/axis-upheaval-russia-iran-north-korea-taylor-fontaine?check_logged_in=1 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Geri |first=Maurizio |date=2024-07-12 |title=NATO-EU failing energy strategy against the ‘Axis of Upheaval’ turns on a DIME |url=https://www.friendsofeurope.org/insights/critical-thinking-nato-eu-failing-energy-strategy-against-the-axis-of-upheaval-turns-on-a-dime/ |access-date=2024-08-01 |website=Friends of Europe |language=en-US |archive-date=2024-08-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240802012629/https://www.friendsofeurope.org/insights/critical-thinking-nato-eu-failing-energy-strategy-against-the-axis-of-upheaval-turns-on-a-dime/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Glosserman |first=Brad |date=2024-05-28 |title=Echoes of 1962, the Berlin crisis and a world teetering on war |url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2024/05/28/world/axis-of-upheaval/ |access-date=2024-08-01 |website=The Japan Times |language=en |archive-date=2024-08-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240802012628/https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2024/05/28/world/axis-of-upheaval/ |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Officer (armed forces)|military officials]],<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":4">{{Cite news |last=Sabbagh |first=Dan |date=2024-07-23 |title=Army chief says UK must double its lethality or be prepared for war in 2027 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/article/2024/jul/23/british-defence-chief-vows-to-triple-fighting-power-but-shies-away-from-conscription |access-date=2024-08-01 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077 |archive-date=2024-09-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240909210428/https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/article/2024/jul/23/british-defence-chief-vows-to-triple-fighting-power-but-shies-away-from-conscription |url-status=live }}</ref> and international groups<ref>{{Cite journal |date=2024-07-23 |title=NATO Public Forum: The Axis of Upheaval featuring CSIS's Jon B. Alterman |url=https://www.csis.org/analysis/nato-public-forum-axis-upheaval-featuring-csiss-jon-b-alterman |journal=[[Center for Strategic and International Studies]] |language=en |access-date=2024-08-02 |archive-date=2024-08-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240802012628/https://www.csis.org/analysis/nato-public-forum-axis-upheaval-featuring-csiss-jon-b-alterman |url-status=live }}</ref> to describe the growing [[Anti-Western sentiment|anti-Western]] collaboration between [[Russia]], [[Iran]], [[China]], and [[North Korea]] beginning in the early 2020s. It has also been called the "'''axis of autocracies'''",<ref>{{cite news |title=Former NATO Chief Warns Against 'Axis of Autocracies' |url=https://www.voanews.com/a/former-nato-chief-warns-against-axis-of-autocracies-/7447098.html |work=[[Voice of America]] |date=19 January 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Stallard |first1=Katie |title=Welcome to Putin and Kim’s parallel reality |url=https://www.newstatesman.com/thestaggers/2023/09/vladimir-putin-kim-jong-un-parallel-reality |website=[[New Statesman]] |date=14 September 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=The West's Next Challenge Is the Rising Axis of Autocracies |url=https://www.wsj.com/politics/national-security/autocracies-china-russia-us-election-5dc42efb |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |date=24 August 2024}}</ref> the "'''deadly quartet'''",<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last=Sabbagh |first=Dan |date=2024-07-30 |title=‘Axis of upheaval’ adds urgency to review of UK defence spending |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/jul/30/axis-of-upheaval-adds-urgency-to-review-of-uk-defence-spending |access-date=2024-08-01 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077 |archive-date=2024-09-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240909210429/https://www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/jul/30/axis-of-upheaval-adds-urgency-to-review-of-uk-defence-spending |url-status=live }}</ref> or "'''CRINK'''".<ref name="IranIntlCRINK">{{cite web |title=World Figures Convene in Canada To Address Threats Posed By CRINK |url=https://www.iranintl.com/en/202311209501 |website=[[Iran International]] |publisher=Iran International Newsroom |access-date=August 4, 2024 |date=November 21, 2023 |archive-date=September 9, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240909210430/https://www.iranintl.com/en/202311209501 |url-status=live }}</ref>{{efn|An acronym for '''China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea'''<ref name="IranIntlCRINK" />}}

The loose alliance generally represented itself in diplomatic addresses and public statements as an "anti-[[hegemony]]" and "[[Anti-imperialism|anti-imperialist]]" coalition with intentions to challenge what it deemed to be a Western-dominated [[International order|global order]] to reshape international relations into a multipolar order according to their shared interests. While not a formal bloc, these nations have increasingly coordinated their economic, military, and diplomatic efforts, making strong efforts to aid each other to undermine Western influence.<ref name=":2" />

== Term ==
The "Axis of Upheaval" as a term was coined in the April 2024 article "''[https://www.foreignaffairs.com/china/axis-upheaval-russia-iran-north-korea-taylor-fontaine?check_logged_in=1&utm_medium=promo_email&utm_source=lo_flows&utm_campaign=article_link&utm_term=article_email&utm_content=20240729 The Axis of Upheaval]''" written by foreign policy analysts [[Richard Fontaine]] and Andrea Kendall-Taylor for the [[Foreign Affairs]] magazine, as part of the [[Center for a New American Security]] [[United States]]-based [[national security]] [[think tank]].<ref name=":2" /> Fontaine picked the phrase due to it representing the group of nations' shared disdain for and desire to uproot Western influence and values without using language that was "too overbearing", such as with the "[[Axis of evil|Axis of Evil]]" or "axis of [[autocracy]]".<ref name=":1" />

[[NATO]] policy planning head Benedetta Berti expressed that she preferred to use the phrase "strategic convergence" instead of "axis" when describing the coalition of nations.<ref name=":1" />

== Background ==
{{See also|Russian invasion of Ukraine|Cross-strait relations|Axis of Resistance}}
The roots of cooperation among nations in the axis stretch back decades during the onset of the Cold War, based on the divide between the [[First World]] and [[Second World]]. The [[Soviet Union]] represented the lead [[superpower]] of the latter, providing assistance to and sharing [[Communism|communist]], anti-Western philosophies with the People's Republic of China and North Korea.<ref name=":2" />

While these nations have generally remained on neutral or good terms since the break-up of the Soviet Union, their alliance intensified significantly following [[Russian invasion of Ukraine|Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine]]. Foreign policy analyst Andrea Kendall-Taylor stated that it seemed that [[President of Russia|Russian President]] [[Vladimir Putin]] misjudged the level of "extraordinary" Western coordination between the United States, [[Europe]], and other West-friendly countries on [[International sanctions during the Russian invasion of Ukraine|economic sanctions]] and [[List of military aid to Ukraine during the Russo-Ukrainian War|military aid to Ukraine]]. However, she expressed that the West's hardline and absolute response inadvertently served as a catalyst for Russia to accelerate pushing for closer economic and diplomatic ties with nations at odd with Western nations, due to it seemingly marking a "point of no return" for Russian–Western relations that increased Putin's determination to move past them.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":5">{{Cite web |last=Kendall-Taylor |first=Andrea |date=2024-05-29 |title=The Axis of Upheaval: How the Convergence of Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea Will Challenge the US and Europe |url=https://icds.ee/en/the-axis-of-upheaval-how-the-convergence-of-russia-china-iran-and-north-korea-will-challenge-the-us-and-europe/ |access-date=2024-08-01 |website=ICDS |language=en-US |archive-date=2024-08-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240802012630/https://icds.ee/en/the-axis-of-upheaval-how-the-convergence-of-russia-china-iran-and-north-korea-will-challenge-the-us-and-europe/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2021, [[Clifford May]] described Russia, China and Iran as [[Neo-imperialism|neo-imperialist]] powers who "seek to restore what they consider their rightful realms, and all see the U.S. as their biggest obstacle. It's on this basis that they now have a flourishing alliance".<ref name="May empires">{{cite web |last1=May |first1=Clifford |title=China, Russia and Iran: The empires strike back |url=https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2021/dec/15/china-russia-and-iran-the-empires-strike-back/ |website=[[The Washington Times]] |date=15 December 2021}}</ref> Discussing [[Russian neo-imperialism]] in Ukraine, [[Orlando Figes]] wrote in 2022 that "we can see a new type of empire arising in Eurasia, uniting countries with historic grievances against the West". He said that "ideas of a nationalist, socially conservative, anti-Western and religious character ... underpin dictatorships in Russia, China, and Iran".<ref name="Figes">{{cite web |author1=Orlando Figes |author1-link=Orlando Figes |title=Putin Sees Himself as Part of the History of Russia’s Tsars—Including Their Imperialism |url=https://time.com/6218211/vladimir-putin-russian-tsars-imperialism/ |website=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=30 September 2022}}</ref>

== Characteristics ==
While the Axis of Upheaval is not a formal union or alliance, it is generally united by a shared opposition to what it calls [[American imperialism|U.S. hegemony]] and the Western-led international order. The axis's countries have dramatically increased their economic and military cooperation while coordinating their diplomatic, information, and security efforts, operating as a loose coalition of like-minded states in resistance to economic or ideological pressure from Western nations.<ref name=":2" /> 

=== Anti-Westernism ===
{{See also|Polarity (international relations)}}
The motivations driving the loose alliance are multi-faceted, but are primarily centered on a desire for greater regional influence and control away from Western powers' "imperialism". The axis members reject Western-defined [[Universal value|universal values]] and the "championing of its brand of [[democracy]] as an attempt to undermine their legitimacy and foment domestic instability". They view U.S. presence in their regions of influence as a threat to their interests and sovereignty, stating that they should hold the right to instate democracy based on their own institutions and culture instead of being forcibly shaped by Western principles. Collectively, they represent themselves as [[Anti-imperialism|anti-imperialists]] sharing the goal of creating a [[Polarity (international relations)|multipolar world order]] that diminishes U.S. global dominance, which includes resisting "external meddling in their internal affairs, the [[Enlargement of NATO|expansion of U.S. alliances]], the stationing of [[Nuclear weapons of the United States|American nuclear weapons]] abroad, and the use of coercive sanctions".<ref name=":5" /> 

=== Autocracy and neo-imperialism ===
All four states have been described as [[Autocracy|autocratic]] or [[Authoritarianism|authoritarian]] with extensive [[Propaganda|state propaganda]] campaigns,<ref name="Marsden">{{cite web |last1=Marsden |first1=Harriet |title=Crink: the new autocractic 'axis of evil' |url=https://theweek.com/politics/crink-the-new-autocractic-axis-of-evil |website=[[The Week]] |date=14 May 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=West facing 'authoritarian' alliance, says Nato chief |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-68743805 |work=[[BBC News]] |date=6 April 2024}}</ref><ref name="Mankoff Eurasia">{{cite book |last1=Mankoff |first1=Jeffrey |title=Empires of Eurasia: How Imperial Legacies Shape International Security |date=2022 |publisher=Yale University Press |pages=2-9}}</ref><ref name="McCann">{{cite web |last1=McCann |first1=Daryl |title=Russia, China and Iran: An Uneasy Alliance of Rogues |url=https://quadrant.org.au/magazine/uncategorized/russia-china-and-iran-an-uneasy-alliance-of-rogues/ |website=[[Quadrant (magazine)|Quadrant]] |date=14 April 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Axe |first1=David |title=There is only one war going on and it is global |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/04/15/world-war-west-allies-iran-russia-china-north-korea/ |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |date=16 April 2024}}</ref> while Russia, China and Iran have also been described as neo-imperialist or expansionist<ref name="May empires"/><ref name="Mankoff Eurasia"/><ref name="McCann"/><ref>{{cite web |last1=Brands |first1=Hal |title=China, Russia and Iran Are Reviving the Age of Empires |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/features/2024-04-14/china-russia-and-iran-are-rebuilding-empires-to-defeat-us-europe |website=[[Bloomberg News|Bloomberg]] |date=14 April 2024}}</ref> (see [[Russian neo-imperialism]] and [[Chinese imperialism]]). In addition, North Korea is one of the few remaining [[personalism|personalist]] [[dictatorship]]s with pervasive [[personality cult]]s.

=== Economic cooperation ===
Economic ties among the axis members have strengthened considerably since 2022. Following an early 2022 signing of a joint agreement between [[President of China]] [[Xi Jinping]] and Vladimir Putin establishing a "'no-limits' partnership", China has become Russia's largest trading partner, with bilateral trade reaching record levels in 2023 and 2024. In 2023, trade between Russia and China exceeded [[United States dollar|US$]]240 billion, with Russia replacing [[Saudi Arabia]]'s petroleum trade as China’s largest [[petroleum]] source. Iran and Russia have agreed to conduct trade in each others' national currencies to reduce each others' dependency on the U.S. dollar in international transactions. China has also increased its purchases of [[Petroleum industry in Russia|Russian oil]] and [[natural gas]], providing a crucial economic "lifeline" to Russia's oil industry and [[Economy of Russia|economy]] in the face of pressure generated by wide-sweeping Western sanctions. Many of these trade agreements, alternative networks, and transactions across shared borders appeared to be set in place specifically in order to circumvent Western sanctions and trade restrictions.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":5" />

For Iran, exports from Russia increased by 27% from January to October 2022.<ref name=":5" />

Russia also defied [[United Nations Security Council]] sanctions by unfreezing North Korean assets worth several millions in USD.<ref name=":2" />

=== Military cooperation ===
Military collaboration has also intensified between the four states, with Iran providing [[Unmanned aerial vehicle|unmanned aerial vehicles]] (UAVs) to Russia for use in [[Ukraine]]. From the beginning of Russia's invasion to the end of April 2024, Russia used ~3,700 drones designed by Iran in combat, and expressed plans to collaborate with Iran on constructing a Russian drone factory. Russia reciprocated the military assistance by granting Iran new [[Anti-aircraft warfare|air defense]], [[Intelligence analysis|intelligence]] and [[surveillance]] capabilities, modern [[aircraft]], and [[Cyberwarfare|cyber abilities]]. Russia has also provided Iran and [[Axis of Resistance|Iranian proxies]] such as [[Hezbollah]] with more weapons, especially following the onset of the [[Israel–Hezbollah conflict (2023–present)|2023 Israel–Hezbollah conflict]].<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":5" />

While China has publicly avoided transferring weapons to Russia, it has exporting over US$300 million in [[Dual-use technology|dual-use items]] that can be used both by civilians and in the military if shipped components are put together or adapted for military use. Dual-use items exported to Russia from China include [[Integrated circuit|microchips]], [[Radio jamming|jamming equipment]], [[telecommunications]] equipment, [[Jet aircraft|jet plane]] parts, [[Sensor|sensors]] and [[radar]], and [[Machine tool|machine tools]], each of which helped to sustain its war effort and avert shortages caused by Western sanctions.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sher |first=Nathaniel |date=6 May 2024 |title=Behind the Scenes: China’s Increasing Role in Russia’s Defense Industry |url=https://carnegieendowment.org/russia-eurasia/politika/2024/05/behind-the-scenes-chinas-increasing-role-in-russias-defense-industry?lang=en |access-date=31 July 2024 |work=Carnegie Endowment |archive-date=13 July 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240713053117/https://carnegieendowment.org/russia-eurasia/politika/2024/05/behind-the-scenes-chinas-increasing-role-in-russias-defense-industry?lang=en |url-status=live }}</ref> From 2018 to 2022, Russia supplied 83% of China’s military arms imports. China's exports to Russia contributed to half of its growing supply of computer microchips and components, reaching levels close to where they were prior to the invasion.<ref name=":5" />

North Korea has supplied Russia with roughly 2.5 million [[ammunition]] rounds and [[Ballistic missile|ballistic missiles]].<ref name=":2" />

The four nations have also engaged in various kinds of [[Military exercise|joint military exercises]], including naval exercises between China, Iran, and Russia in the [[Gulf of Oman]] over the past three years, and Russian-proposed naval exercises between it, North Korea, and China.<ref name=":2" />

=== Diplomatic cooperation ===
Diplomatic coordination among the axis members has become increasingly apparent, with each nation offering mutual support in international forums such as the [[United Nations]]. Russia and China have made efforts to legitimize Iran by including it in organizations such as [[BRICS]] and the [[Shanghai Cooperation Organisation|Shanghai Cooperation Organization]]. Their coordinated messaging on global issues frequently stood directly in opposition to Western and United States-led interpretations of world events, with a "shared purpose of overturning the principles, rules, and institutions that underlie the prevailing international system".<ref name=":2" />

Russia has defended Hezbollah and other proxies of Iran during UN Security Council debates. Likewise, China has publicly released statements and made stances during international debates blaming [[Ukraine–NATO relations|NATO interference in Ukraine]] for starting the war. In addition, Russia, Iran, and China used their [[state media]] and [[social media]] to support [[Hamas]], to justify actions taken by them, and to criticize [[Israel]] and the US following the October 2023 attack for their hypocritical roles in [[List of massacres in the Palestinian territories|mass civilian attacks]] and [[Gaza humanitarian crisis (2023–present)|humanitarian crises in the Gaza Strip]].<ref name=":5" />

== Impact ==
The rapid development of the Axis of Upheaval worked to undermine the effectiveness of Western sanctions and export controls such as those against Russia, eroded U.S. military advantages in key regions including the [[Middle East]], and presented increased challenges to international norms and institutions. Moreover, the axis's actions have emboldened other anti-Western states and actors, contributing to a more unstable global environment.<ref name=":2" />

Foreign policy analyst Andrea Kendall-Taylor believed that the resulting influence of the axis of nations is pushing transformation of the current "international system" into one characterized by two increasingly organized orders with opposing values and regional interests, a shift she predicted is likely to give rise to greater global instability and initiation of conflict. She noted several instances of increasing worldwide conflict related to the coalition's cooperation. These included increased regional conflicts such as [[Azerbaijan]]'s renewed [[2023 Azerbaijani offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh|invasion]] and [[2023 Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire agreement|reintegration]] of [[Nagorno-Karabakh]], [[Guyana–Venezuela crisis (2023-present)|threats]] to [[Guyana]] from [[Venezuela]], increasing tension between [[Kosovo]] and [[Serbia]], and an increase in [[Coup d'état|coups]] in several African nations including [[Niger]] and [[Burkina Faso]]. She predicted that opportunistic aggression, such as Russia attacking Europe while the United States is involved in a war against China, could be a future driver of worldwide conflict.<ref name=":5" />

== Analysis ==
American diplomat and historian [[Philip Zelikow]] stated that the Axis of Upheaval represented the third time in recent history that the United States faced a "purposeful set of powerful adversaries in a rapidly changing and militarized period of history, short of all-out war." The prior instances included the [[Axis powers|Axis Powers]] of [[Fascist Italy]], [[Nazi Germany]], and [[Imperial Japan]] from 1937-1941, and the beginning of the Cold War against the Soviet Union and China from 1948-1962. He analyzed that the leaders of the current Axis of Upheaval share characteristics with leaders of these earlier periods such as [[Adolf Hitler]], [[Joseph Stalin]], and [[Mao Zedong]]; viewing themselves as [[Historical figure|historical figures]] operating in isolated environments separate from dissenting views and pressures. He stated that this isolation shared by the four nations' leaders can lead to decisions that may seem irrational to outside observers, with autocratic [[Propaganda|state propaganda]] further censoring dissenting viewpoints while characterizing other international orders as existential threats to them and their culture that requires conflict and sacrifice to repel.<ref name=":3" .<ref name=":3" />

== Challenges ==
Despite their growing cooperation, historical distrust from prior events exist, such as the Soviet Union's [[Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran|1941 invasion of Iran]], China's apprehension to North Korea's militant aggression, and a [[China–Russia border#Post-1991|border dispute]] between Russia and China that ended in 2004. Current competing interests between the nations include disputes between Russia and China over control in [[Central Asia]] and competition between Iran and Russia for Asian oil markets. Furthermore, the axis does not seem to have a coherent positive vision for a new global order, and its members remain economically interdependent with the West to varying degrees, making direct opposition to ultimatums issued more difficult to justify.<ref name=":2" />

Despite this, [[Political science|political scientist]] [[Hal Brands]] remarked that their alliance forged from their mutual disdain for the "existing order" resembled many of history's "most destructive alliances", which were made from rough agreements to band together against a greater opposing order or alliance with "little coordination and even less affection".<ref name=":2" /> 

=== Western response ===
In response to this emerging threat, Western nations, led by the United States, have increased their focus on countering the collective challenge posed by the axis, which involved efforts to strengthen existing alliances and partnerships. In 2024, NATO reaffirmed its security commitments in unstable regions such as in [[Southeast Asia]], and called for increased [[Military budget|defense spending]] and diplomatic engagement to match increased cooperation from potentially destabilizing unions.<ref name=":2" />

However, rising [[populism]] and [[political polarization]] in the [[European Union]] and the [[United States]] threaten to undermine unity in the alliance. <ref>https://www.nato.int/docu/review/articles/2017/01/06/will-the-populist-wave-wash-away-nato-and-the-european-union/index.html</ref>

Foreign policy analyst Andrea Kendall-Taylor argued that defeating Russia in Ukraine would be crucial to weakening the axis's ability to cause destabilization. She also believed that the US should not de-prioritize Russian aggression towards Ukraine and Europe while primarily focusing on China's South China Sea dispute due to both conflicts being connected by the axis. She stated that Europe needed to develop a stronger military and push for a greater emphasis on foreign policy so that the U.S. could address different global conflicts evenly without its resources and attention being stretched too thin.<ref name=":5" /> General Sir Roly Walker corroborated these statements, stating that the [[United Kingdom]] needed to "double the lethality of its army" in three years to prepare for conflict with nations of the Axis of Upheaval.<ref name=":4" />

The [[Presidency of Joe Biden|Biden administration]] received strong criticism from [[Progressivism|progressive]] [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrats]] and worldwide [[Palestinian nationalism|pro-Palestinian]] groups and governments for delivering Israel large weapon shipments and for strongly supporting the Israeli government in international decisions during Israel's invasion of the Gaza Strip. This U.S. response towards Israeli actions in Gaza was seen by Russia, China, and Iran as a blatant contradiction of Western vows towards using its power to promote [[human rights]] and [[international order]], prompting closer ties to axis countries from other alienated nations.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Brennan |first=David |date=2024-04-20 |title='New Axis of Evil' conflicts threaten US upheaval on eve of election |url=https://www.newsweek.com/new-axis-evil-conflicts-us-upheaval-election-2024-1892215 |access-date=2024-08-01 |website=Newsweek |language=en |archive-date=2024-09-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240909210429/https://www.newsweek.com/new-axis-evil-conflicts-us-upheaval-election-2024-1892215 |url-status=live }}</ref>

== See also ==

* [[Axis of evil]]
* [[Axis of Resistance]]
* [[BRICS]]
* [[China and the Russian invasion of Ukraine]]
* [[Iran and the Russian invasion of Ukraine]]
* [[Shanghai Cooperation Organisation]]
* [[Global South]]
* [[Second Cold War]]

== Notes ==
{{notelist}}

== References ==
{{reflist}} 

== External links ==
* [https://www.foreignaffairs.com/china/axis-upheaval-russia-iran-north-korea-taylor-fontaine?check_logged_in=1&utm_medium=promo_email&utm_source=lo_flows&utm_campaign=article_link&utm_term=article_email&utm_content=20240729 "''The Axis of Upheaval''"] – by [[Richard Fontaine]] and Andrea Kendall-Taylor in [[Foreign Affairs]]
* [https://www.csis.org/analysis/nato-public-forum-axis-upheaval-featuring-csiss-jon-b-alterman NATO Public Forum: The Axis of Upheaval] – from [[Center for Strategic and International Studies|CSIS]]
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