The foreign policy course of modern Russia in the assessments of students

Background. In recent years, the existing world order has changed radically. The question of Russia’s place and role in the changing world order, the possibilities and re-sources of our country to defend its status as a great power, to pursue an independent for-eign policy based on its national interests came to the fore. Especially important is the assessment of Russia’s modern foreign policy by the modern students, since it is they who are the potential elite of society, and in the near future will determine the priorities of Russia’s foreign policy. The purpose of the research is to study the opinions, assessments, percep-tions and attitudes of students to the modern Russian foreign policy course. Materials and methods. Based on the results of the author’s research among the students of Penza, conducted in 2023, as well as the materials of the secondary analysis of other sociological studies on similar issues, a sociological analysis of the role of Russia in the system of world political coordinates is carried out, an assessment of Russian foreign policy by the student youth is presented. Results. Based on these studies, the views and opinions of Russians and student youth on the main priorities of the foreign policy of the Russian Federation, its main national interests in the foreign policy sphere were analyzed, the main directions of foreign policy and the conditions that Russia needs to conduct an independent foreign poli-cy were described. Conclusions. According to research data, it was revealed that about a quarter of students belong to the group of undecideds on various issues of the implementa-tion of Russian foreign policy. Similar assessments of the modern Russian foreign policy course among students and Russian youth were revealed. About half of the students are more likely to follow the events taking place in Russia’s foreign policy and believe that the country’s leadership pays sufficient attention to foreign policy. According to the students, the main priority of Russia’s foreign policy is to ensure the safe and peaceful existence of the country, and the main national foreign policy interest is to protect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Russia