GLOBAL STRATEGIC RIVALRY AND THE SECURE ARCHITECTURE: NATO'S INFLUENCE ON THE FORMATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL PEACE

This study is relevant due to the transformation of the international security environment caused by Russia’s war against Ukraine, which has heightened strategic competition and underscored NATO’s role in shaping the global order. The research aims to examine NATO’s evolving role post-war by analyzing changes in its strategic identity, responses to geostrategic challenges, and its institutional adaptation for long-term competition. Historical and civilizational perspectives were applied to trace alliance evolution, alongside analogy methods to compare non-NATO partners, and content and case analyses to assess key developments. The findings reveal NATO’s strategic transformation, the reaffirmation of its security guarantor role in the 2022 Strategic Concept, the bolstering of its eastern flank, and its efforts to counter hybrid threats from Russia and China. A pragmatic planning model combining short-term strategies with long-term leadership goals has emerged. The study highlights the need to assess NATO’s internal unity and adaptability to technological and environmental challenges.