SUPPORT OF GERMANY’S FOREIGN POLICY ACTIVITIES WITH STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS INSTRUMENTS

Abstract

Germany has chosen for itself a balanced model of developing trusting relations with key partners and encouraging the cooperation of other international actors. As a result, the country’s leadership focused on promoting the values of Ger- many’s cultural policy, which was combined with active financial and economic activity and the fight against negative narratives about the state. The formation of a positive state image, the transformation of international political status and the preservation of a leading role in the EU became the key tasks of Germany’s strategic communications. It has been established that Germany’s strategic com- munications have an internal and external orientation, and their efficiency is re- lated to the freedom and motivated activity of German non-state institutions. As a result of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, Germany’s foreign policy activities were focused on supporting the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine, promoting the development of the country’s democracy and economy, as well as combating Russian disinformation campaigns aimed at discrediting Germany’s political, economic, security, social and humanitarian achievements. At the same time, in the process of promoting common European interests and protecting against hybrid threats, the leading role of Germany is increasingly achieved through the use of strict management methods, as well as financial and economic strength. Although the Federal Foreign Office of Germany activated the available communication tools in order to improve the quality of its own communication and counteract the spread of false information about the foreign and domestic political initiatives of the state. In the coming years, there will be a change in the foreign policy priorities of both Germany and other international actors, as well as the strengthening of joint international actions to counter the spread of false information and the unification of international efforts to improve the legal and technical regulation of the communication means with external and internal audiences.