Grey-Zone Warfare

The recent actions undertaken by the United States against Venezuela are widely viewed as reflecting a grey-zone warfare approach, operating below the threshold of open armed conflict while still exerting sustained strategic pressure.

• Grey-zone warfare refers to a set of coercive activities that take place between peace and full-scale war, designed to harm or weaken an adversary without triggering a conventional military response or a clear declaration of hostilities.
• The objective is to avoid escalation, keeping the target uncertain about whether it is under attack, while gradually shaping political, economic, or security outcomes in the aggressor’s favour.
• Common tactics include ....