The authors explored the phenomenon of «soft power» as a political strategy through the prism of modern political theory and practice of international relations. The article considers the emergence and formation of the problem of «soft power» in the history of political thought, its current state, identifies the main approaches, resources, goals and results of the use of «soft power» by states in the foreign policy arena. The results of the study of this phenomenon are the theoretical basis for making political decisions. The basis for this study was the theory of the influence of soft power in the global and geopolitical space, its positive and negative sides were highlighted.For modern states, the need to ensure security and stable development is still an urgent task. States in the international arena are in a state of fierce competition for influence and resources. At the same time, the role of the so-called «soft» ways of interaction between states in the global political space has recently increased significantly, new views and theories devoted to this issue are emerging. The authors come to the conclusion that the phenomenon of «soft power» has acquired the greatest significance for political practice due to the correspondence of this concept to modern ideas about how to regulate international relations and maintain world order. The analysis performed by the authors makes it possible to evaluate the effectiveness of «soft power» as an influential political strategy.