Introduction. The article develops an approach to strategic Due Diligence in mergers and acquisitions under conditions of external instability. It is shown that classical Due Diligence, focused mainly on retrospective financial and legal review, is insufficient for assessing the future resilience of a business model. The purpose of the study is to justify strategic Due Diligence as an independent stage of analysis that takes into account geopolitical, climate, regulatory, and technological risks. Theoretical analysis.