Problems of participation of private military companies in modern international political processes

The article considers the problems and specifics of the participation of private military companies in modern international political processes. The main scientific approaches to the study of the activities of private military companies are highlighted. Based on the analysis of scientific literature, the main stages of the evolution of the views of domestic and foreign scientists on the phenomenon of private military companies since the 1960s are formulated. The term «private military companies» is defined and it is proven that private military companies have become an integral part of modern international political processes. It is proven that the activities of private military companies have acquired a tendency towards sustainable development, which is due, first of all, to their extensive experience and unique competencies in the military and security sectors. The trends in the international development of private military companies are analyzed and a number of factors, advantages and disadvantages of the interaction of private military companies with the state, the use of private military companies in comparison with the regular armed forces of the state, the impact of PMC activities on the security of state sovereignty and the country’s defense capability are identified. The existing models of interaction between nation states and private military companies are considered. Despite the active political and scientific discussion on PMCs in Ukraine, there is currently no relevant law regulating the activities of private military companies. In Ukraine, there are private security organizations, the status of which is enshrined at the legislative level, and the so-called «informal private military companies» that solve some tasks in the field of military security. The interaction of large private military companies with the United Nations and NATO is considered, their positive and negative sides. At the same time, it can be argued that if within the framework of individual states it is possible to ensure relatively effective control over the activities of PMCs by improving national legislation, then at the international level, significant efforts of the world community are required to form uniform standards and norms regulating the activities of private military companies.