When Russian forces invaded Ukraine, some of the most strategically important communications systems were operated not by a government, but by private companies. Through Starlink, millions of people gained access to a network that proved critical for military coordination, civilian connectivity, and national resilience. This flashpoint highlighted a broader transformation that extends far beyond a single conflict: increasingly, states depend on infrastructures they do not fully control.For centuries, power was measured by control of territory. States exercised authority through control of land, populations, borders, infrastructure, and armed force, and the modern international order was built upon that territorial logic. Although it still matters — France governs France, the United States governs the United States, and states continue to levy taxes, maintain courts, police borders, and command armed forces — many of the systems upon which modern societies depend are no longer organized primarily along these vertical, territorial lines.Instead, communication, commerce, navigation, computation, and information increasingly flow through a borderless fabric of technology — a global lattice of cloud platforms, satellite megaconstellations, digital payment networks, and algorithmic systems that spans jurisdictions rather than remaining confined within them.