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This paper observes the evolution of EU-Russia relations from the end of the Cold War to the beginning of the Ukraine crisis and the following civil war. These relations evolved from Russia`s tolerant view on EU eastern enlargement and mutual cooperation, to the disputes over “Еuropean neighbor policy” and whole spectra of other issues. All of these problems were consequences of different geopolitical concepts and “natures” of both Russia and the EU. The paper further analyses classical and contemporary position of Ukraine and the influences of great powers geo-strategies on its crisis, which brought to the stronger confrontation of the EU and Russia, but also to the attempts of some of most important EU members to participate, together with Russia, in peace negotiations between belligerent powers.

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ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) or the Islamic State of Iraq and Levanta is a terroristic organization which under its control, at the moment, holds parts of the territory of the States of Iraq and Syria that are about the size of the Great Britain. Besides the great territory that it holds, ISIS possesses such an organizational structure that has all characteristics of the organization of any state. The territory that is controlled by them, which has authority over a few million inhabitants of the occupied areas, as well as organizational structure, show that ISIS is not just an ordinary terroristic organization, but it acquires all forms of a state. Financial means are the main source of power of the Islamic State. Oil control and power sources taken from the occupied territories give them the greatest source of financial income. Besides the control of the oil sources, ISIS also obtains its financial income from different ways of taxing the local residents. Kidnappings and hijacking for the account of ransom money, as well as donations from residents, also represent important forms of their source of financing. The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria has been declared on the 29th of June 2014 for a Caliphate, while Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has been announced to be a Caliph. With its force ISIS presents a great threat to the Middle East Region, as well as to the global safety.

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After Croatia retook control over previously Serb-held areas of Western Slavonia and Krajina in military offensives “Flash” and “Storm” launched in May and August of 1995, Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium remained as the only part of Croatian territory under Serbian control. While in autumn of 1995 the international community was focused on achieving a negotiated settlement for Bosnia, the Zagreb’s priority was to reintegrate Eastern Slavonia into Croatian constitutional framework. As it became clear that “the road to Dayton necessarily lead through Eastern Slavonia”, President Clinton’s administration sought to find a solution for Eastern Slavonia, which would be satisfactory to Croatian President Tudjman in order to get his support for agreement on Bosnia. The final agreement on the peaceful reintegration of Eastern Slavonia was reached between Presidents Tudjman and Milosevic in Dayton, whereas the formal document (Erdut Agreement) was signed on 12 November in Zagreb and Erdut.

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The main research question posed in this article is could foreign policy considerations of Milovan Milovanović (Serbian politician, diplomat and a fruitful author from the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century) be regarded as a theory of foreign policy? Our thesis is that these considerations are a pre-theory of foreign policy. After a description of the key Milovanović’s hypotheses about the foreign policy behavior of states in international relations, we will test could they be regarded as a comprehensive theory using two tools: 1) the minimal test; 2) the optimal test. Finally, we would try to locate Milovanović’s pre-theory inside broader realpolitik thought, as well as to analyze its relevance for contemporary foreign policy theoretical approaches.

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Position of the Serbian minority in Croatia has been significantly worsened since this country joined the European Union in 2013. However, causes of this situation are not recent. They go back further in time and relate to the formation of the identities of the two people who have built up in mutual dynamic relation. As a consequence of the surviving ethnonationalism in politics of the two states, it was not enough to arrange position of the minorities only by law. The real challenge was to implement that law. There is a certain constant which provides us to see that every time Croatia falls into institutional crises, the anti-Serb mechanism initiates. In this paper, the author also tries to notice that this constant continues after Croatia joined the EU which has already been in deep crisis itself.

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Energy represents one of the most crucial factors of the global economic development. Outgrowing the pure economic significance, it has touched on a number of new fields, security being one the most prominent kind. Volatility of the global system has put into focus the necessity of reaching energy security, looking both from the energy exporter and from energy importer states\' point of view, but including transit countries as well. A number of indicators that influence energy security (especially energy prices), and the need for its institutionalisation, tell us how the whole energy market is changing and dependent on the complex scheme of interests where every player has its own role in maintaining the basic stability. The emergence of energy security dilemma is the prime example of the way that the behaviour of one state affects the behaviour of other states. Therefore, the highlight of the near future will be placed onto measures for energy supply diversification in order to minimise the impact of energy security issues on overall foreign policies. At the same time, the new transformation of the global energy market tells us that the time of the changing geopolitical map and roles has come.

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Most of the on-going armed conflicts in the world are distinctive by the use of private military and security companies, so their capabilities become an important factor in modern conflicts and international relations. In some cases, the number of private security contractors exceeds the number of armed forces, and thus the success of the international military campaigns, largely depends on the services provided by private security sector. Armed conflict zones (not exclusively the war zones), have a number of similar and complementary terms, which are significant from a legal point of view. Due to incidents where humanitarian law was severely breached, it pointed out the urgent need for adequate regulation of the subject at the international level. The paper analyzes the relevant documents, with a critical review of the legal status of private military and security companies and private security contractors in the armed conflict zones.