National Interests as a Mechanism for Formulating Intelligence Tasks

Abstract

The article provides a comprehensive analysis of changes in the geopolitical and geo-economic environment resulting from the Russian Federation’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and their impact on the transformation of the international security landscape. The essence of national interests is examined as a multidimensional category shaped by historical, political, economic, and civilizational factors, and their role in the development of a geocivilizational strategy of the state is substantiated. Particular attention is paid to the evolution of approaches to the interpretation of national interests within realist and liberal-idealist paradigms of international relations. Key trends in the formation of a new security architecture are identified under conditions of intensified strategic competition among major global actors, the escalation of hybrid threats, and the acceleration of the technological revolution, particularly in the field of artificial intelligence. The study demonstrates that national interests function as a fundamental mechanism for shaping intelligence tasks, determining priorities, instruments, and directions of intelligence activities in contemporary conditions. The article concludes that the profound transformation of the global security environment necessitates a reassessment of the role of intelligence services in the emerging international order.