Control over artificial intelligence (AI) is important to prevent the risks it poses. Almost all politicians, civil society leaders, academics and independent experts agree that AI needs to be controled, but there is no unified approach to solving this problem.
When trying to solve this problem, the following issues arise: AI development is decentralized, and its development is controlled by private companies; major powers – leaders of AI have different approaches to understanding the need and implementing control over these technologies; the emergence of each new AI model requires the development of a special and flexible control mechanism that could be adapted specifically to this model; AI developers are becoming geopolitical actors, since they have power in areas that previously belonged to nation States and they have become sovereign entities.
Many countries are trying to solve this problem, but none of the proposed initiatives are capable of creating a system of effective control over AI. The main goal of control over AI should be to identify and reduce risks to the stable development of the global community, which requires the creation of institutional structures, common basic characteristics and principles of this control.
The concept of control over the development and distribution of AI can be based on the following principles: caution, flexibility and adaptability, globality, inclusiveness, the principle of feedback.
The implementation of control mechanisms requires institutionalization, i.e. the creation of supranational institutions that implement this process. The creation of an AI control system creates the possibility of moving to a new level – managing the process of development, distribution and use of artificial intelligence.
Key words: artificial intelligence, risks, problems, characteristics, mechanism, principles.

The purpose of the article is to give an idea of the background of the creation of the Christian Historical Union (CHU), one of the leading Dutch political parties of the 20th century. Its origins date back to the last third of the 19th century, when confessional parties began to emerge in the Netherlands, the first of which, in 1879, was the Anti-Revolutionary Party (ARP). The party’s core consisted of adherents of orthodox Protestantism who had separated from the official Dutch Reformed Church and advocated for the independence of church and state. The most important political goal of the anti-revolutionaries, led by the Calvinist theologian Abraham Kuyper, was to create an alliance between Catholics and Protestants to counter the liberals. However, the ARP, which was rapidly gaining political momentum and playing a key role in the States General, underwent a split. In 1894, a conservative group, led by A.F. de Savornin Loman, withdrew from the party. The article focuses on the personality of this politician, his relationship with Kuyper and his contribution to the development of the Dutch political system. For the first time in Russian historiography, the text of the program of the basic principles of the new party, which was written by De Savornin Lohman in March 1898, translated from French by the author of the article, is published. The De Savornin Lohman’s group, which did not recognize the strict party discipline of the ARP, denied alliance with Catholics and opposed the law on universal suffrage, formed an independent party in September 1898, called the Free Anti-Revolutionary Party. Following a series of mergers between the Free Anti-Revolutionary Party and Christian-Historical political unions, the Christian Historical Union was formed in July 1908. Until its dissolution in 1980, it was the second-largest Protestant party in the Netherlands.
Key words: Groen van Prinsterer, Abraham Kuyper, Anti-Revolutionary Party, A.F. de Savornin Lohman, The Free Anti-Revolutionary Party, Christian Historical Union

This article examines the evolution of Saudi Arabia’s policy toward Syria between 2023 and 2025, focusing on its instruments of influence and inherent limitations. The analysis highlights a significant shift in Riyadh’s approach following the events of late 2024, marking a proactive turn in its engagement with the Syrian Arab Republic. While Iran has long been Damascus’s primary ally, Saudi Arabia has recently undertaken substantial efforts to reshape the regional balance of power. This study argues that these changes reflect a pragmatic Saudi strategy to expand its regional influence. The drivers of this policy are identified as not only Syria’s strategic significance and Riyadh’s ambitions within regional blocs but, crucially, its pursuit of Middle Eastern stability by countering the three neighboring power centers: Israel, Iran, and Turkey. The paper scrutinizes documented evidence and specific measures implemented by the Saudi leadership to increase its leverage in Syria. The concluding section identifies potential avenues for future Saudi-Syrian cooperation.
Key words: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Syrian Arab Republic, foreign policy, conflict, settlement.

Abstract: The article examines the views and ideas that circulated among the Russian state elite during the Great War era in relation to the desired reshaping of the Middle East region (primarily Qajar Iran) in accordance with the interests of the state. The 1907 Agreement did not definitively resolve either the contradictions between the Russian Empire and Britain in the region, or the Persian question as it. The pre-war years were marked by an intensification of “peaceful penetration” in the Russian sphere of influence, which generated additional friction. The outbreak of the global conflict seemed to open a window of opportunity for the transformation of the region, including those related to the emergence of new forms of penetration, such as resettlement and active involvement in the discussion and implementation of the policy of the Resettlement Department and the authorities of Turkestan. By the end of 1916, this even led to the issue of shifting the political border in the region to the east of the Caspian Sea. However, the revolutionary events of February 1917 in Petrograd led to a paradigm shift. The new authorities, who rhetorically dissociated themselves from the approaches and practices of the “Ancien Régime”, sought to find their own Middle Eastern policy options, inevitably driven by situational and personnel inertia, on the one hand, but also by the search for new formats and approaches, on the other.

Key words: Russia, Iran, Great Britain, W. von Klemm, V.F. Minorsky, the Russian Revolution

Abstract. The publication presents the results of an in-depth study of the provisions of the BRICS Kazan Declaration of 2024 related to the problems and strengthening of the global security architecture in the space sphere, as well as the author’s judgments on the prospects for joint efforts of states on BRICS platforms to ensure security in space in the interests of humanity. A literature review was conducted, problems in the scientific study of the role of BRICS in the architecture of global security in the space sphere were identified. The position of BRICS on security issues in space, reflected in the BRICS Kazan Declaration and documents of the summits of previous years, was studied. It is stated that cooperation of the BRICS countries in ensuring security in the space sphere is focused on the dyad of goals of forming the long-term sustainability of space exploration activities and preventing an arms race in outer space. It is noted that there is insufficient progress in achieving the BRICS goals in global space security, but with the club consistently expressing and defending key positions. Political and other factors of insufficient success of joint activities in the subject area are highlighted. Among the most promising applications of joint efforts of states on BRICS platforms to ensure security in space in the interests of humanity, in addition to achieving progress in international regulation, are the creation of a specialized permanent BRICS body on peaceful exploration of outer space and security in outer space, the development and adoption of a joint strategy for space exploration, the activation of technology and knowledge exchange programs between the BRICS countries to reduce the technological gap, the implementation of initiatives to create multilateral mechanisms for monitoring space activity, as well as the development of new codes of conduct to prevent conflicts in space.
Keywords: BRICS, global security architecture, space security, peaceful exploration of outer space, space activities, BRICS Kazan Declaration, arms race in outer space

During the War of the Second Anti-French Coalition, uprisings against the French occupation and revolutionary reforms arose across the Italian states. The article analyzes three important episodes from the history of popular movements in Piedmont and the Maritime Alps in 1799-1801: the Christian Army (Massa cristiana) under the command of Branda Lucioni, the plan to prepare for the Barbets rebellion in southern France under the leadership of the French royalist Amédée Villot, and the “great uprising” of peasants (zoccoli) in the Aosta Valley and Canavese. In historiography, these events are usually viewed as part of the internal social and political history of Piedmont and the neighboring region of Nice (since 1793 the French department of Alpes-Maritimes). This article examines the influence of geopolitical factors on the emergence of popular movements and the transformation of these popular movements themselves into a geopolitical factor at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries. The author demonstrates that the popular militia in Piedmont in 1799 was organized by the Austrian command, that the Barbets revolt of 1800 was planned by French royalists with the support of England and the consent of Austria, and that the Zoccoli revolt in Aosta and Canavese in 1800-1801 was an autonomous local peasant movement, but pushed Napoleon to annex Piedmont to his state, thus marking the beginning of a new stage in French foreign policy.
Keywords: popular uprisings, Piedmont, Nice, Aosta Valley, Kingdom of Sardinia, French occupation, Napoleon Bonaparte, Branda Lucioni, Amédée Villot, Barbets, Zoccoli, Second Anti-French Coalition, geopolitics.

Under the sanctions pressure of unfriendly states, fundamental changes are taking place in Russia’s foreign trade. An analysis of the state of foreign trade relations, taking into account modern geopolitical challenges, allows us to determine the prospects for the development of Russia’s exports and imports. The purpose of the study is to identify the features of the country’s foreign trade, on the basis of which it is possible to build a forecast based on econometric modeling of export and import indicators. The object of the study is the foreign trade of the Russian Federation by region of the world. The subject of the study is Russia’s export and import in the context of geopolitical challenges. The objectives of the study are to identify the dynamics and structure of foreign trade from 2000 to 2024, some problems in export-import activities; determining the forecast values ​​of Russian export and import indicators for 2025-2026 through the use of special mathematical tools.
The study is based on statistical methods of information analysis and the use of a scenario approach. The use of this methodology allows us to identify the features of the current state of Russia’s foreign trade and develop a forecast for the medium term.
The analysis of Russia’s foreign trade from 2000 to the 1st quarter of 2019 was carried out. 2025; the features of the development of foreign economic relations were established; changes that occurred in the structure of Russian trade turnover between the regions of the world were revealed; forecast values ​​of Russia’s exports and imports for 2025-2026 were determined.
It was concluded that Russia is increasing the volume of foreign trade with countries in the Asian and African regions against the backdrop of a reduction in the share of countries in America, Oceania and Europe. The reorientation of sales markets, parallel imports, and the rapid transition to the use of national currencies in settlements with friendly states made it possible to neutralize the effect of the imposed anti-Russian sanctions.
Key words: Russia’s foreign trade, trade and economic sanctions, export-import, unfriendly states, scenario approach, medium-term forecasting.

The topic of this article is the African vector of Russia’s foreign policy within the general course of “Russia’s Turn to the East”. One of its significant aspects is Russia’s involvement in the settlement of water disputes between African countries. The problem of fresh water shortage is becoming increasingly relevant at present, and in particular for a number of countries on the continent with an arid climate. The mechanisms of Russian water diplomacy are considered using the example of measures to facilitate the resolution of the dispute between Egypt and Ethiopia over the Renaissance Dam on the Nile. As a result, recommendations are offered to strengthen Russia’s role on the African continent by using both existing developments in water diplomacy and expanding mutually beneficial cooperation in the field of integrated water resources management.
Keywords: Russian foreign policy, water policy, water diplomacy, Africa, mediation in negotiations, water resources management.

Abstract. The migration challenges occurring in the world require joint efforts from the state to control and regulate within the framework of various integrations. The article examines the features of the legal regulation of labor migration flows of three integration associations. The associations are EU, NAFTA (USMCA), EAEU. The subject of the study is the internal and external migration policies of the associations. Special attention is paid to study international, integration and national migration regulations. They relate to the goals of associations and the needs of the labor markets of the members. In conclusion the legal acts of integration associations regulate labor migration and have a number of inconsistencies. Migration policy often is carried out by individual countries based only on their own national interests.

Key words: labor migration; migration policy; migration flows; integration associations; EU; NAFTA; USMCA; EAEU.

Abstract: in the context of the transformation of globalization processes, special attention is drawn to the change in crises, their acquisition of a truly global nature. The pandemic of a new coronavirus infection, numerous natural disasters and cases of genocide have shown the need for more consistent and systemic cooperation between countries through global and regional institutions and organizations. Nevertheless, there is a need to form a theoretical framework for ensuring international humanitarian cooperation for the prompt resolution of crises and minimizing their impact on political, economic, legal, social and other systems, as well as relations between states and their blocs.
The presented article presents approaches to the classification of global humanitarian crises, which can be used as an element of the theoretical framework for studying modern international relations. Objective: to develop the author’s classification of global humanitarian crises based on domestic and foreign experience. In preparing the article, a systems approach was used, which made it possible to identify the types of crises, assess the relevance of existing classifications of global humanitarian crises, and identify their characteristics that are important for the coordinated interaction of political entities to resolve the crisis situation. A comparative approach was also used, which made it possible to determine the advantages and disadvantages of existing classifications of crises. An analytical method and logical analysis were used to distribute global humanitarian crises into categories. Results: an analysis of theoretical approaches to the classification of global humanitarian crises was carried out, characteristics were determined that allow the most effective and objective identification of the types and kinds of such crises. Conclusion: based on the results of a comparative analysis of the classifications of global humanitarian crises, the author’s criteria and characteristics of their division into types and kinds are proposed.
Key words: global crises, humanitarian crises, globalization, competition, classification.

The purpose of the article is to present the features of China’s foreign policy in the Middle East, for which Chinese politicians have developed a unique concept of a long-term strategy based on the principle of “soft power”. The work analyzes the key objectives of China’s foreign policy towards the Middle East region, considers a number of fundamental goals and objectives of China’s diplomatic relations with the countries of the Middle East, primarily long-term trade and economic cooperation. As a result of the study, the author comes to the conclusion that China is interested in promoting long-term economic projects and programs in the Middle East, and, as a result, is maximally interested in maintaining a stable political situation in the region against the backdrop of the escalation of military conflicts, putting its own business interests first. To implement its political strategy, China uses such tools of “soft power” as initiatives and events aimed at deepening economic and political ties with the states of the Middle East; active coverage in the media of China’s humanitarian and peacekeeping initiative; systematic promotion of Chinese culture and language in the Arab world. According to the author, within the framework of the “soft power” policy, there is a need to form a more favorable international field for cultural diplomacy, which will allow China to more deeply and systematically explore the potential for cooperation with the Middle East states.
Keywords:foreign policy of the People’s Republic of China, China, «soft power», the Middle East, «soft power» diplomacy, strategic partnership

Review of the book: A.M. Urazov. FROM SUEZ TO CAMP DAVID. THE CONFRONTATION BETWEEN THE USA AND THE USSR IN THE MIDDLE EAST IN THE 1950S-1970S. Moscow: AST, 2025, 256 p.

The presented article is devoted to the VIII International Scientific Congress “Globalistics-2025” held at Moscow University from October 10 to 25, 2025. The congress was dedicated to the 270th anniversary of Lomonosov Moscow State University, the 220th anniversary of the Moscow Society of Naturalists, and the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory and the founding of the United Nations and UNESCO. This major scientific event brought together numerous prominent international scientific platforms under the common theme: “The UN and Global Transformations of International Relations: Multipolarity, Sustainability, and Security.”
Key words: global studies, congress, Faculty of Global Processes, UN, global transformations.