<p>This article examines the overlooked practice of state derecognition as a dynamic instrument of contemporary international politics. Drawing on a critical-geopolitics framework, it demonstrates how the strategic withdrawal of diplomatic recognition undermines assumptions of permanent sovereignty and reconfigures territorial orders. Through comparative case studies of Taiwan, Western Sahara, and Kosovo, the article shows that derecognition is rarely grounded in changes to legal criteria for statehood; instead, it reflects broader political calculations, including economic leverage, domestic political consolidation, and geopolitical influence. By treating derecognition as a deliberate diplomatic contestation strategy launched by the former base state vis-à-vis the secessionist state, this article reveals the contingent and reversible nature of sovereignty itself and the protracted nature of statehood conflicts. It concludes that the increasing use of derecognition as a tool of statecraft erodes international norms, intensifies great-power rivalries, and poses a significant challenge to the international order. This research offers a critical framework for understanding the contested dynamics of statehood in an era of shifting geopolitical alignments.</p>