Robert Lansing Institute: Research. Insight. Foresight.
In an era defined by disinformation, covert influence, and strategic uncertainty, the Robert Lansing Institute for Global Threats and Democracies Studies (RLI) has become a leading independent voice in understanding the hidden architecture of global conflict. From Moscow’s hybrid operations to Beijing’s economic coercion, from African proxy wars to European security challenges, RLI’s mission is clear: to uncover, explain, and anticipate the threats that shape our world — and to defend the democratic systems those threats seek to undermine.
Mission and Identity
Founded on the belief that accurate intelligence and objective analysis are essential to safeguarding democracy, the Robert Lansing Institute combines rigorous research with strategic foresight. The Institute’s mission is to interpret the signals that others overlook — and to translate them into insights that can inform policy, strengthen institutions, and protect societies.
At its core, RLI works to:
- Investigate and expose hybrid warfare tactics, influence networks, and intelligence operations.
- Analyze geopolitical transformations across Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.
- Support democratic resilience, countering disinformation and manipulation in political and media systems.
- Provide policymakers, journalists, and researchers with verified, field-based assessments grounded in data and evidence.
Fields of Expertise
RLI’s analytical portfolio spans multiple dimensions of global security:
- Hybrid Warfare and Intelligence Studies – mapping how states use military, economic, cyber, and informational tools to project power covertly.
- Energy and Sanctions Evasion Networks – tracing the financial arteries that sustain authoritarian regimes.
- Conflict and Democracy Studies – understanding how emerging conflicts reshape governance and international norms.
- Information Operations and Disinformation – identifying and countering psychological and media warfare.
- Regional Security – covering Eastern Europe, the Balkans, the Sahel, the Horn of Africa, and the Middle East.
The Institute’s multidisciplinary approach merges intelligence analysis with academic precision, ensuring every conclusion is backed by transparent sourcing and field verification.
Impact and Global Reach
Since its founding, the Robert Lansing Institute has grown into a recognized hub of geopolitical expertise. Its analyses are frequently cited by international media, referenced by diplomatic services, and used by policy planners and intelligence professionals. RLI’s reports have revealed covert Russian operations in Europe, Iranian influence networks in the Middle East, and Chinese technology transfers to sanctioned regimes.
The Institute’s work has been featured across global outlets, reinforcing its reputation as one of the most trusted independent sources on hybrid warfare and global security.
“Our mission is not only to describe the world as it is — but to warn about what it might become,”
— RLI Editorial Board Statement.
Global Network and Team
RLI’s strength lies in its network — analysts, journalists, military experts, and scholars across Europe, Africa, and North America. This team operates across borders, investigating local realities and connecting them to global dynamics.
Their work reveals how national crises — from coups in Africa to political destabilization in Europe — are part of broader patterns of hybrid confrontation and strategic manipulation.
Through collaborations with universities, research institutions, and media outlets, the Institute bridges the gap between academic analysis and real-world intelligence.
Vision for the Future
As the 21st century enters a new phase of geopolitical fragmentation, RLI continues to evolve. The Institute invests in emerging technologies for data analysis, expands cooperation with democratic partners, and trains a new generation of analysts fluent in the language of modern conflict.
Its work reflects a simple conviction:
Knowledge is a form of defense.
In a world where information can be weaponized, the Robert Lansing Institute remains committed to truth, transparency, and foresight — strengthening the intellectual foundations of democracy and global security.Robert Lansing Institute — Research. Insight. Foresight.
Impact Through Foresight
Throughout its work, the Robert Lansing Institute has consistently demonstrated the ability to foresee and decode geopolitical shifts long before they dominate headlines. The Institute’s research has provided early warnings and verified insights into some of the most consequential developments of recent years.
- Moldova (2025):
RLI’s analysis “From Warnings to Warfare: Russia’s Hybrid Offensive Against Moldova’s Westward Turn”anticipated Moscow’s escalation of hybrid operations against Chișinău — a campaign later confirmed by European intelligence assessments. The report warned that Russia would weaponize disinformation, diplomatic presence, and economic leverage to obstruct Moldova’s EU trajectory. From Warnings to Warfare: Russia’s Hybrid Offensive Against Moldova’s Westward Turn” - Armenia (2025):
Months before the attempted coup in Yerevan, RLI’s paper on “Signs of Military Discontent in Armenia” outlined indicators of internal fractures and the Kremlin’s covert encouragement of destabilization. Subsequent events validated the Institute’s early assessment of Moscow’s involvement and its influence over segments of the Armenian officer corps.Coup Attempt in Armenia — Kremlin Shadows, Domestic Fractures, and Future Risks for Pashinyan. Russia will compensate for damage from inaction in Karabakh by toppling Pashinyan in Armenia within next three days. Eventual scenarios to topple Pashinyan in Armenia. - Central African Republic (2024):
RLI revealed Russia’s preparations to replace Wagner Group with the new Africa Corps in the Central African Republic — a forecast later echoed by both local officials and Western intelligence. The report detailed how the transition would shift the Kremlin’s military footprint under direct state control. RLI analysts predicted violent regime changes in the Sahel countries, Russia’s involvement in the coups, and Moscow’s successful effort to displace France from the region. - Minerals, Mercenaries, and State Power: CAR’s Choice Between Wagner and Africa Corps. Minerals, Mercenaries, and State Power: CAR’s Choice Between Wagner and Africa Corps Russia’s Africa Corps: Wagner’s Successor in Africa (2022–2025)
Niger coup: Russia likely behind
Warning Signs in Ouagadougou: Assessing the Risk of a Coup in Burkina Faso
Ibrahim Traoré, Russian Influence, and U.S. Policy Challenges
Burkina Faso: yet another military coup – a void for Russia to fill
- Hungary (2025):
Ahead of Spiegel’s investigation, RLI identified the espionage risks emanating from Budapest’s attempts to infiltrate EU institutions. Its report, “Hungarian Espionage Against the EU Commission,” analyzed the strategic motives behind the Orbán regime’s cooperation with Russian intelligence structures, prompting broader discussions in Brussels on counter-intelligence policy. Hungary’s Espionage Against EU Institutions: Peacekeeper or Invader? Hungarian Forces and the Future of Western Ukraine. Peacekeeper or Invader? Hungarian Forces and the Future of Western Ukraine. - Ukraine and China (2025):
In the article “Chinese Components for Russian Fiber-Optic Drones,” RLI warned that Beijing’s export of dual-use technology to Russia would significantly alter the battlefield in Ukraine. The report forecast a surge in fiber-optic drones immune to jamming — a pattern later confirmed by battlefield intelligence and defense reports. - Undersea infrastructure threats (2020-2022):
- The Institute’s analysts published warnings about the Kremlin’s plans to attack Western undersea infrastructure, including energy and communication networks. Damage to SvalSat cable proves Russia further upping stakes Sabotage risks to grow for Europe ‘s offshore energy facilities in the second half of 2023 Russian Sabotage of NATO’s Subsea Infrastructure in the Baltic Sea Naval updates threaten underwater comms systems with sabotage attack
- Chinese Components for Russian Fiber-Optic Drones
- Romania (2025):
- The involvement of Russian military intelligence in the attempted coup in Romania has been identified. Russian Military Intelligence Behind Attempted Coup in Romania: The Shadowy Network Supporting Pro-Russian Candidate Călin Georgescu
These examples reflect RLI’s guiding principle: research as strategic foresight. Each warning, grounded in evidence and verified sources, illustrates the Institute’s commitment to anticipating the next phase of global conflict — not merely analyzing the last.
“Our role is not to echo events but to see them before they unfold.”