Dr Vuk Vuksanović is Lecturer in Foreign Policy and Grand Strategy Education in the Department of War Studies at King’s College London. His research examines the strategies of small states and regional powers amid contemporary great power rivalries, with particular emphasis on hedging, balancing, and strategic non-alignment.

Working within the realist tradition, especially neoclassical realism, he analyses how systemic pressures interact with domestic political dynamics, particularly the role of elites, to shape foreign policy and grand strategy. His work engages with US, Chinese, Russian, and Turkish foreign policies and their interaction with smaller states across Europe, the Middle East, and the Global South.

He is the author of Serbia’s Balancing Act: Between Russia and the West (Bloomsbury Academic, 2025). His research has appeared in journals such as the South African Journal of International Affairs and Uluslararası İlişkiler, as well as in edited volumes published by Routledge and Bloomsbury.

Prior to joining King’s, he gained diplomatic and policy experience, including roles in geopolitical consulting and think tank research. He is an Associate at LSE IDEAS.

Dr Vuksanović holds a PhD in International Relations and an MSc in Theory and History of International Relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). He also holds a BA and MA in International Relations from the University of Belgrade.

He regularly provides commentary on international affairs in leading international media outlets.

Research interests

Dr Vuksanović’s research focuses on foreign policy analysis and grand strategy in the context of contemporary great power rivalry. His work explores how small states and regional powers adapt to systemic pressures through strategies of hedging, balancing, and strategic non-alignment. Drawing on realism, particularly neoclassical realism, he examines how international structural constraints interact with domestic political dynamics and elite decision-making to shape foreign policy outcomes. His empirical research spans Europe, the Middle East, and the Global South, with particular attention to US, Chinese, Russian, and Turkish engagement in these regions. His work bridges theoretical debates in International Relations with contemporary policy challenges.

Key research areas

• Foreign Policy Analysis
• Grand Strategy
• Realism, especially Neoclassical Realism
• Great Power Politics and Rivalry
• Strategies of Small States and Regional Powers
• Hedging, Balancing, and Strategic Non-Alignment
• US, Chinese, Russian, and Turkish Foreign Policies
• Great Power Engagement in Europe, the Middle East, and the Global South

PhD supervision

Dr Vuksanović is open to supervise PhD students on the following topics:

• Foreign Policy Analysis
• Grand Strategy
• Realism, especially Neoclassical Realism
• Great Power Competition
• Strategies of Small States and Regional Powers
• Hedging, Balancing, and Strategic Non-Alignment
• US, Chinese, Russian, and Turkish Foreign Policy
• European, Middle Eastern, and Global South International Politics

Publications

Book

• Serbia’s Balancing Act: Between Russia and the West. Bloomsbury Academic, 2025.

Book Chapters

• “The Vulnerable Little Brother – Opportunistic Partnership and Serbia’s Exposure to Russia’s Spoiler Tactics.” In Niklas Nilson and Mikael Weisman (eds.), Russian Warfare and Influence: Small States in the Intersection Between East and West. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2024.
• “Russia and China in the Western Balkans: The Spoiler Power and the Unexpected Power.” In Nemanja Džuverović and Věra Stojarová (eds.), Peace and Security in the Western Balkans: A Local Perspective. Routledge, 2022.

Research Articles

• “Kremlin Looks Southward: The Logic of the Global South in Russian Foreign Policy.” South African Journal of International Affairs, 2025.
• “So Similar, Yet So Different: Russia and Turkey in the Western Balkans – The Case of Serbia.” Uluslararası İlişkiler, 2023.

Policy Papers

• “Building Leverage – Türkiye as Security Provider in the Western Balkans.” Belgrade Centre for Security Policy (BCSP), 2024.“
• Russia in the Balkans: Interests and Instruments.” In Giorgio Fruscione (ed.), Europe and Russia on the Balkan Front: Geopolitics and Diplomacy in the EU’s Backyard. Italian Institute for International Political Studies (ISPI), 2023.
• “Moscow’s Continent: The Principles of Russia’s Africa Policy Engagement.” South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA), 2023.
• “The Dragon Lands in Belgrade: The Drivers of Sino-Serbian Partnership.” LSE IDEAS, 2021.

Media Articles

Dr Vuksanović has authored analysis and commentary on international affairs in a range of outlets, including Foreign Policy, War on the Rocks, The National Interest, and The Diplomat.