FOREIGN POLICY INSTRUMENTS FOR THE NATIONAL SECURITY PROTECTION

Abstract

The article addresses the problem of protecting national security through the foreign policy tools, which represent a form of interstate cooperation. The academic literature analysis revealed the absence of a special study, which would carry out a comprehensive analysis of foreign policy instruments used for national security protection, and this fact defined the relevance of this article. It is defined that the priority interests of all states relate to the preservation of sovereignty and territorial integrity, economic development and prosperity, protection and improvement of living standards of citizens, as well as the preservation of national identity and culture. It is noted that methods of realizing the national interests can take various forms, and foreign policy instruments are necessary to ensure security, sustainable development, peace and stability in the region and in the world as a whole. According to the results of the study, the most common foreign policy instruments were identified, which are used with varying degrees of intensity by states to protect national security. According to the specificity of employment, the analysed tools were grouped into four main groups: military force, economic measures, diplomatic and intelligence activities. The results of the study show that foreign policy instruments for national security protection have different forms of implementation. The article provides examples from the history of world politics, which demonstrate the successful use of a tool for realizing national interests and protecting national security. It is noted that perspective areas of further research, thus, may relate to expanding the list of these foreign policy instruments, analysis of their formation and effectiveness, as well as identification of foreign policy instruments used by Ukraine to protect its national security.