INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION OF THE STATE BORDER GUARD SERVICE OF UKRAINE AS AN INSTRUMENT FOR PREVENTING THREATS TO BORDER SECURITY

Abstract

The article examines the legal nature and content of international cooperation carried out by the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine (SBGSU) as an integral element of its operational and service activities. Based on semantic, legal, and doctrinal analysis, the study clarifies the conceptual framework of the term “international cooperation” and identifies its key characteristics, including the equality of actors, normative regulation, joint activity, and the pursuit of common interests. The current national legislation, in particular the Law of Ukraine “On the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine”, legitimizes the international cooperation of the SBGSU in the areas of combating illegal migration, drug trafficking, and transborder crime, as well as in interaction with competent foreign authorities, military formations, and international organizations. At the same time, it does not define such cooperation as an independent function of the border agency. The analysis of practical activity demonstrates that the SBGSU has established a stable system of international interaction, encompassing information exchange, joint operations and patrols, investigation of border incidents, and participation in representative and coordination meetings at the state border. However, international cooperation still has an auxiliary and supporting nature in relation to the main functions of the Service. Considering the current conditions of martial law and the hybrid nature of external threats, this direction of activity requires further normative and organizational improvement. The article substantiates the necessity of expanding the SBGSU’s legal powers in the sphere of countering military threats to border security and proposes amendments to the relevant provisions of the Law of Ukraine. Particular attention is paid to the professional development of personnel involved in international cooperation, emphasizing the need to introduce specialized academic disciplines and distance learning courses within the framework of continuous professional education.