The Policy of National Security

EXCESSIVE SECRECY IN DEMOCRACIES: BUREAUCRATIC REFLEX OR SECURITY ILLUSION?

Goran Matić — 2026-04-05

Systematic excessive classification of information within the security apparatuses of the United States, the European Union, and key NATO allies constitutes a structural anomaly within liberal democracies. Through comparative analysis, the article identifies that the principal driver of this phenomenon is the distinction between security secrecy (the protection of genuine security capabilities) and political secrecy (the protection of institutions from accountability). The research demonstrates that, despite different legal traditions, all examined systems share common structural patterns: defensive classification as a risk-minimization strategy, asymmetric incentives that penalize openness, and weak mechanisms of external oversight. The consequences of such practices include erosion of public trust, constrained cooperation within alliances, and reduced effectiveness in decision-making processes. The article concludes that solutions require a paradigm shift – from the logic of the need to conceal toward the principle of the right to know, grounded in the presumption of openness as the basis of democratic legitimacy. Key operational steps include the introduction of mandatory sunset clauses, strengthening the independence and competences of oversight bodies, and harmonizing standards at NATO and European Union levels to prevent misuse of secrecy for information management rather than security protection.

RUSSIAN-AMERICAN RELATIONS IN DONALD TRUMP'S SECOND TERM: BETWEEN DESIRES AND REALITY

Dušan Proroković — 2026-04-05

Donald Trump’s initiative to restore Russian-American relations by resolving the Ukrainian crisis with partial respect for Russia’s demands seemed surprising and was described as a kind of U-turn in American foreign policy. However, the question is not only what effect such U-turns in bilateral and/or international relations can have, but also whether they can be carried out without major consequences. On the one hand, the Ukrainian crisis is complex; it decisively determines continental security, and therefore, European countries are interested in resolving it. On the other hand, after four years of confrontation, trust between Russia and the collective West has been destroyed, and time is needed to restore it. This research examines the reasons and scope of Donald Trump’s initiative. There is a big difference between the publicly proclaimed desire to contribute to establishing peace and improving Russian-American relations and the realities that arise from the establishment of a balance of power through confrontation. The paper consists of five parts. The introductory section explains the theoretical and methodological frameworks, presents the research question and hypothesis, and defines the concept of “controlled confrontation”. The second part describes the process by which an absolute breach of trust between Russia and the USA led to an escalation of the confrontation. The third part examines changes in the Russian Foreign Policy Concept, and the fourth part examines how the growth of distrust and changes in doctrinal documents contributed to the misunderstanding. The last part is the concluding remarks.

MULTIDIMENSIONAL SECURITY IN MUAY THAI PRACTICE

Marta Neskovic — 2026-04-05

This article examines Muay Thai as a cultural practice that reflects the multidimensional character of human security. Once tied primarily to warfare, Muay Thai now engages multiple domains of security: physical, economic, health, and ontological. Through ethnographic accounts and historical analysis, I show how the development of Muay Thai has been shaped by the ways Thai society has understood and responded to insecurity, whether military threat, economic precarity, or existential uncertainty. Its practices provide livelihood opportunities, bodily conditioning, and ritualized forms of resilience that extend into both communal life and cosmological orientation. The analysis also considers the perspectives of foreign practitioners, revealing how national narratives meet lived realities. Ultimately, the article demonstrates that security in Muay Thai is paradoxical: the very practices that cultivate resilience and continuity simultaneously produce new vulnerabilities.

NATIONAL DEFENCE STRATEGY AND RESILIENCE OF THE NORTH MACEDONIA SECURITY SECTOR IN THE ERA OF MODERN SECURITY CHALLENGES

Mitko Arnaudov — 2026-04-05

North Macedonia has become a permanent member of NATO in 2020, in the midst of the global and all-pervading Covid-19 pandemic that did not recognize the boundaries between rich and poor, between large, medium and small countries, between strong and weak health systems. Almost all countries were faced with the catastrophic consequences of this pandemic in the field of human security, but also the sustainability of national economies and health systems. On European level, pandemic was followed by the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine, but it is a challenge that did not directly threaten the security of North Macedonia or other countries on the European continent. This conflict indirectly threatened the economic and specially the energy security of Europe. Pragmatical purpose of the paper is to find an answer to the following question – to what extent the security system of North Macedonia is prepared, as well as adapted to face modern security challenges, such as these? From theoretical perspective, authors will analyse the capacities of small states using the Republic of North Macedonia as a case study in the context of the possibility of adapting and facing modern security challenges.

GEOPOLITICAL CONSEQUENCES OF BASHAR AL-ASSAD’S FALL IN SYRIA

Aleksandar Gajic — 2026-04-05

Adhering to the theoretical framework of classical geopolitcal analysis, the paper provides a geopolitical overview of the change of government in Syria at the end of the prolonged civil war, as well as the course of military operations and a description of the immediately established new situation on the ground. The introductory part of the paper explains the basic weaknesses of the Bashar al-Assad regime, as well as its main flaws that caused its collapse in a period of only eleven days. The second segment of the paper explains the geopolitical importance of Syria in a historical perspective by pointing out its constants within the Levant as an intermediate space in the Middle East located between the areas occupied by regional geopolitical powers in different historical eras. In this way, the similarity between former and the current circumstances is pointed out. The middle part of the paper observes geopolitical dimensions of the newly established state, the ideological and political background of HTS, the ruling military faction in the new, Sunni government in Damascus, as well as its relationship with other factions and their strongholds in the certain areas within Syria. The third part of the paper analyses the influence of external great and regional powers on the situation in contemporary Syria and their interest projections which conflict each other in many ways. The final part of the paper deals with a prognostic assessment of the further geopolitical prospects of post-Assad Syria, taking into account the existing antagonisms and different interests of both Syrian military and ethnic formations and external powers.

THE ACTION OF PARASECURITY STRUCTURES AND FOREIGN FACTORS IN KOSOVO AND METOHIA IN THE HYBRID WAR AGAINST THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA

Berisa Alil Hatidza — 2026-04-05

This paper examines a broader context of the expressed interests of certain foreign factors in contemporary security circumstances, characterised by the presence of hybrid threats, aiming to observe the position and relevance of the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija (AP of Kosovo and Metohija) within the security agenda of these forces. The purpose of the analysis is the improvement of the methodological approach to a more objective perception and strategic comprehension of the activities and intentions, as well as the accentuation of the significance attributed by the great powers to that territory within the context of other areas and issues where their interests are confronted. The paper analyzes the interests of the United States (US) as the main foreign policy actor in KiM, as well as the interests of certain great and regional powers with a longer presence in the Balkan region, such as the Russian Federation (RF), the Federal Republic of Germany, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK), and the Republic of Turkey. In order to pursue their own interests and project influence, foreign factors have been undertaking a whole array of diverse measures and activities that are in our contemporary analyses in the field of defence and security often called hybrid warfare, therefore this paper provides a brief review of the hybrid warfare concept through the evaluation of prominent questions and responses, graded as relevant to the decision-making authorities on the strategic level, along with the description of the specific hybrid activities performed by certain para-security structures and foreign factors in the case of the AP of Kosovo and Metohia.

THE ISRAEL-IRAN CYBER WAR: THE DIGITAL DIMENSION OF MIDDLE EASTERN CONFLICTS IN A POST-UNIPOLAR WORLD

Aleksandar Bogićević — 2026-04-05

The conflict between Israel and Iran represents one of the most enduring confrontations in the Middle East. Over the past decade, its dynamics have increasingly been characterised by multidimensionality, reflected in the spillover of the conflict beyond traditional military-political frameworks into other domains, including the digital sphere. Following the Israeli Stuxnet attack on Iranian nuclear infrastructure in 2010, the cyber field has become a pivotal arena of confrontation, involving not only Israel and Iran but also affiliated cyber actors, often operating from third-party states, which adds a further layer of unpredictability and complexity to the conflict. What makes this cyber confrontation particularly significant for interstate relations in the highly sensitive Middle East is the ability of states to inflict damage on one another without resorting to armed force. On a global scale, this conflict reflects a broader transformation of relations between major actors in the international order. The support provided to Israel by the United States, coupled with the growing cooperation of Russia and China with Iran, indicates that the Iranian-Israeli cyber war is becoming an integral part of global geopolitical competition. This research aims to analyse cyber warfare between Israel and Iran, its role in their broader conflict, and its effects on both states and the regional actors who, due to their interconnectedness and complex mutual relations, also become targets. The author highlights the growing importance of the cyber dimension as a field of competition in the Middle East, where “old conflicts” are taking on a new form by shifting the struggle into the digital space, making it an inseparable part of the region's contemporary geopolitical reality in a post-unipolar world.

INDIRECT IMPLICATIONS OF SHARENTING ON THE NATIONAL SECURITY OF THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA

Bogdana M Stjepanović — 2026-04-05

The global phenomenon of “sharenting”, defined as the extensive online sharing of minors’ personal data by parents, represents a complex and indirect threat to national security. Although the motives behind this practice are predominantly uncritical, it results in the construction of permanent digital identities for future generations without their prior consent. In the Republic of Serbia, digital risks are further exacerbated by the disparity between youth's high digital engagement and parents' limited knowledge of information security. While direct consequences, such as identity theft, are well-documented, this paper argues that aggregated data derived from sharenting serves as a strategic intelligence resource for both state and non-state actors. The systemic accumulation of this information facilitates sophisticated psychological profiling, extensive surveillance, and targeted influence operations, potentially compromising key state personnel and undermining social cohesion. Current vulnerabilities in the national cybersecurity system, coupled with legislative implementation challenges, create an environment that is highly conducive to such data exploitation. Addressing these threats requires a coordinated strategic approach that integrates strengthening legal frameworks, technical protection of critical infrastructure, and systemic digital education. Mitigating the risks arising from sharenting is not merely a child protection measure but an essential step in safeguarding national security.