The focus of foreign policy expert I.N. Timofeev is economic constraints as one of the main mechanisms allowing major states to use «soft power» and gain competitive advantages. By conducting a comparison of strategies and opportunities for the sanctions policies of key players in the modern world, the author proves the dominance of «national egoism» and the existence of a tendency to move away from globalization. In this regard, the application of constraints will not undergo significant changes in the near future. On the one hand, even a universal threat, i.e. the pandemic, did not soften the sanctions regime; on the other hand, escalation of sanctions is constrained by potentially severe consequences for interdependent economies.
foreign policy; economic constraints; coronavirus; UN; US; European Union; China; Russia.