The course aims to provide students with the intellectual framework to understand and debate current EU foreign and security policy. The EU's joint foreign and security policy aims to resolve conflicts and promote international understanding through diplomacy and adherence to international rules. Trade, humanitarian aid, and development cooperation are also key components of the EU's global engagement. Without a standing army, the EU relies on ad hoc forces contributed by its member states. It can deploy missions to crisis zones worldwide to monitor and maintain law and order, support peacekeeping efforts, or provide humanitarian assistance to affected populations.