The Role of Public Diplomacy Projects in Border Regions in the Context of Escalating Conflicts

The article is devoted to the study of the role of public diplomacy projects in the border regions in the context of the escalation of the conflict, namely, the assessment of the impact of the sociocultural dimension of public diplomacy on the development of cross-border cooperation. The empirical basis of this work is based on the results of the study «Problems and Trends in the Formation of Information Security in the EAEU Regions», conducted in January-March 2025 in the territories of the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics, the Belgorod and Kursk Regions (N=1500). The results of the study revealed a deep contradiction in public expectations and official priorities in the border regions in the context of sociocultural security. It has been established that the development of a safe information space requires the creation of a safe regional information and cultural space for its citizens. The population sees the main sociocultural risks in the loss of traditional values and historical memory, as well as in the destructive influence of information.