Pragmatism in the relationship between national interests and strategy

International relations are a changing field with no final solutions. Although they are not the only ones, states remain the key actors in international relations. The term state security was replaced by national security in the second half of the 20th century. It is not just a formal linguistic change that determines the state's security. Namely, national interests came to the fore. Concepts of national values, interests, and goals appear at different stages of the development of human society and the state. It is a fact that classical and medieval philosophy did not know the concept of interests, even national ones. This concept originates in the philosophy of pragmatism, occupies a central place, and suppresses values. In this sense, national interests are a political category and the root cause of conflicts in international relations. The United States of America was the world's most powerful country in the 20th century. After the Second World War, the USA created a national security strategy document that, among other things, determined America's vital national interests and the means to achieve them. From President Harry Truman to Donald Trump, the basic national interest of the USA has been and remains - to rule the world. The difference lies only in the methods of determination and operationalisation, as well as in their application in practice. America remained the only superpower at the end of the Cold War. In this sense, the majority of European countries are joining American-led integration, primarily through NATO. In this sense, the majority of countries in Europe and around the world adopt national security strategies, except multinational states (organisations) that do not include the attribute "national" in their security strategies. It is a fact that in all the national security strategies of numerous countries, national interests and goals occupy a dominant place, while national values are only sporadically mentioned. Analysing the way national interests and goals are determined, as well as their realisation and implementation, it can be unequivocally concluded that the world powers adopt a direct, immediate approach to their determination, as confirmed by their practical realisation. On the other hand, small and underdeveloped countries approach the determination of national interests and goals formally, so their realisation in practice is questionable. The Republic of Serbia marks two decades of its independence and autonomy in very complex international relations. Serbia is going through a very difficult path of disintegration of the former SFRY, and that disintegration was not completed precisely on its territory - Kosovo and Metohija. Although the UN Security Council protectorate continues in Kosovo and Metohija, the temporary organs of the Albanian authorities proclaimed an independent Kosovo. Serbia has adopted two national security strategies, which are qualitatively very different. The attitude towards the way national values, interests, and goals are determined is especially different. Thus, Serbia defined its national security for the first time only in 2019. In the relationship of national values, interests and goals, there are evident inconsistencies and even a kind of exclusivity.