THE ROLE OF SMALL STATES IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AFTER THE BEGINNING OF UKRANIAN WAR IN 2022 – CASE STUDY OF NORTH MACEDONIA AND SERBIA

The role of small states in international relations throughout history has been the subjectof theorists of the science of international relations, and even today there is a lively debateabout whether, in what way and to what extent small states contribute to international relationsin ongoing processes in international relations. The key question that dominates the realistictheory of international relations is whether small states can have an independent foreignpolicy at all, thus whether they can have independent foreign policy strategies or their role ininternational relations is subordinated to the great powers. In this paper, on the example of theRepublic of North Macedonia and the Republic of Serbia, we will try to analyze and explainthe role of small states in current international relations, and in the context of the Ukrainianwar. Thus, we will provide a new contribution to the science of international relations onthe foreign policy role and foreign policy activities of small states in international relations,while, on a practical level, we will show that there are no unchangeable rules determiningforeign policy actions of small states, both in theory and practice. The positioning of NorthMacedonia, as a permanent member state of NATO and Serbia, as a military neutral country,but both politically committed to the European future, respectively membership in the EU,will serve as an example in this paper that will provide a scientific explanation that not alwayssmall countries make dependent foreign policy decisions, regardless of the fact of their foreignpolicy orientation