Privatization of warfare: A comparison of private military companies over USA and Russia

There is a trend toward privatizing military and security-related services, such as armed and unarmed security, logistical support, operational support, training, intelligence gathering, and more in the international arena. Private military companies (PMCs) have become increasingly important providers of these services on a global scale. They are now being used by more and more actors, and the companies themselves are expanding their areas of operation. However, they have become a matter of debate in international relations because they also serve as combat forces in wars. A common code of conduct toward PMCs has not yet been developed internationally, and there are differences in the attitudes of states toward the companies. This difference requires investigating the approaches of states towards PMCs within the scope of the privatization of warfare. Utilizing the companies by the United States of America (USA) and the Russian Federation (Russia) has become increasingly prevalent for various purposes. These two prominent actors in international relations have a substantial influence on the military and security domains, which, as a result, affects the conduct of other states. This thesis argues that PMCs are the most concrete manifestation of the privatization of warfare and seeks to answer the question of how private military companies are used to privatize warfare. To achieve this, the study conducts a comparative analysis to identify the differences and similarities in the approaches of the USA and Russia towards PMCs in the context of the privatization of warfare. Key Words: Privatization, Warfare, Private Military Companies, the USA, Russia