Editorial paper at Robert Lansing Institute

Silent Repression: The Kremlin’s Hidden War on Its Own Elite

Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine in February 2022, a disturbing pattern has emerged within the Kremlin's inner architecture: a wave of unexplained deaths among high-ranking officials,…

July 8, 2025Russia

Geopolitics Governance

Viktor Orbán’s Transylvanian Messaging: A Prelude to Hungarian Irredentism and Hybrid Pressure on Romania?

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s visit to Romania—specifically to Transylvania, a region with a significant ethnic Hungarian and Székely (Szekler) population—was marked by controversial rhetoric affirming Budapest’s support for Hungarian…

July 7, 2025Hungary, Romania, Russia

Geopolitics Governance Psyops

Diplomacy as Cover: How Trump’s Calls with Putin Coincide with Russia’s Escalating Strikes on Ukraine

The resumption of high-level communication between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin—particularly via direct phone calls—has sparked concern among analysts and U.S. allies. These calls are frequently followed by intensified Russian…

July 4, 2025Russia, Ukraine, USA

Democracy Geopolitics Governance ideology

From Tiso to Fico: Slovakia’s Dangerous Drift Toward the Aggressor

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico’s foreign policy realignment toward Russia, combined with nationalist rhetoric and active distancing from Western security consensus, has sparked comparisons with the historical legacy of Jozef Tiso—the wartime Slovak…

July 3, 2025Nazi, Russia, Slovakia

Conflict Intelligence ops

Shifting Sands: Azeri-Russian Tensions Surface Amid Diaspora Strains and Media Arrests

The Russian police raids in Yekaterinburg targeting the Azerbaijani diaspora appear to have been triggered by a complex mix of internal intelligence turf wars, geopolitical messaging to Baku, and concerns over organized crime…

July 1, 2025Azerbaijan, Russia

Geoeconomics Geopolitics National Security

U.S. Sanctions Lifted on Rosatom: The Case of Hungary’s Paks II Nuclear Power Plant

The Biden administration has quietly authorized a sanctions exemption for Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom to allow completion of Hungary’s Paks II nuclear power plant. This move, occurring amid ongoing Western sanctions on Russia…

June 30, 2025Hungary, Rosatom, Russia, Ukraine, USA

Propaganda and Disinformation

Whispers in the East: Why Russia Spreads Disinformation About Xi Jinping’s Health — Actors, Motives, and Strategic Intent

Claims: Several Russian-language outlets and Telegram channels have circulated rumors suggesting Xi suffered a stroke or is battling cancer, citing absence from key meetings, physical changes, and unverified insider tips Timing: These rumors…

June 27, 2025China, Russia

Coup Geopolitics ideology Intelligence ops

The Coup Attempt in Serbia — Kremlin Influence, Balkan Instability, and Strategic Fallout

The attempted coup in Serbia represents a critical turning point in Balkan politics, exposing fragile domestic institutions and Serbia’s delicate balance between the EU and Russia. While the plot was swiftly neutralized,…

June 26, 2025Russia, Serbia

Coup Intelligence ops

Coup Attempt in Armenia — Kremlin Shadows, Domestic Fractures, and Future Risks for Pashinyan

Executive Summary The recent coup attempt in Armenia marks the most serious threat to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s authority since the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war. This event reveals a volatile intersection…

June 25, 2025Armenia, Russia

Governance

Why Lukashenko Freed Tsikhanouski Now: Reasons, Consequences & Russian Involvement

I. WHO IS TSIKHANOUSKI, REALLY? Nominally: A popular blogger and political prisoner, husband of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya. In reality: He is widely believed to have been cultivated by Russia’s Ambassador to Belarus,…

June 24, 2025Belarus, Russia, USA

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