International Scientific Conference Squaring the Circle : the New Global Dynamics (2026) [pp. 67-74]
AUTHOR(S) / AUTOR(I): Mihajlo Kopanja 
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.46793/7067.3731.067K
ABSTRACT / SAŽETAK:
Everybody wants guaranteed security! That is the underlying essence driving the entire field of security studies, but also international relations in general. In an anarchic, self-help world, each state seeks security, first and foremost. However, this is easier said than done. The cornerstone of virtually all grand theories of International Relations is that no one, but yourself, can guarantee you security (see: Waltz, 2010; albeit non-realist traditions usually highlight mitigating effects by other factors, see: Bull, 2012; Keohane, 2005; Wendt, 2016). And yet, states constantly not only seek, but also receive security guarantees from other states. From guaranteeing Belgian neutrality in 1839, to British and French guarantee to Poland in 1939, US assurances during the Taiwan Strait Crises in 1954-55 and 1958, as well as the Camp David Accords` guarantees to both Egypt and Israel, security guarantees have been a reoccurring practice in strategic affairs throughout the ages.