THE EXERCISE OF SOFT POWER BY THE U. S. THROUGH THE USE OF MULTILATERAL DIPLOMACY DURING G. W. BUSH AND B. OBAMA PRESIDENCY
In the modern world, multilateral diplomacy is a significant factor of soft power, as it demonstrates commitment to global goals and international cooperation, the desire to address the interests of not only allies, but also of hostile states, and the presence of a clear vision of the world development that altogether increases the attractiveness of the state. The article analyzes the approaches to the multilateral diplomacy of the administrations of two U. S. presidents, namely of G. W. Bush and B. Obama. The study came to the conclusion that the United States mostly neglected the potential of soft power that could have been obtained in case of more active use of multilateral mechanisms. The preference was given to unilateralist actions on the world stage under the administration of G. W. Bush, and this trend was mainly preserved by B. Obama, despite his declared commitment to international obligations, although he generally managed to increase the importance of multilateral diplomacy for the United States and to improve the image of the state in the international arena.