Kovalchuk S. Military-political alliances as an instrument of small and middle states foreign policy

The researcher has conducted complex analysis of military-political alliances as an instrument of small and middle states foreign policy. States guarantee mutual assistance in the form of resources contributions in the case of necessarily by using this instrument. The features of the structural hierarchy of modern system of international relations are analyzed. It is defined that the structural hierarchy is based on the power exercised by dominant actor over weaker one. The author offers states classification grounded on combination of GDP, military expenditures, total area and population. As a result we have one superpower (the USA), 6 big countries and 185 small and middle states.