Editorial paper at Robert Lansing Institute

Institutional Dependency Behind Formal Independence: The Estonian Orthodox Church and Russian Influence Operations

According to the Estonian Internal Security Service, the Estonian Christian Orthodox Church (ECOC), despite formally declaring administrative independence from the Russian Orthodox Church in 2025, continues to operate within a framework of de…

April 15, 2026Estonia, Orthodox church, Russia

Economy

Fragmenting Finance: Russia’s ‘Mir’ System and the Erosion of U.S. Financial Dominance

Russia is advancing the expansion of its payment infrastructure through the “National Payment Card System Mir,” positioning it as an alternative for use in Angola. The initiative is not merely technical…

April 14, 2026Russia, USA

Governance

Peru’s 2026 General Election

Peru’s April 12, 2026 general election is taking place in a climate of severe institutional exhaustion: the country has had eight presidents since 2018, voter distrust is deep, violent crime has…

April 13, 2026elections, Peru

Democracy Governance ideology National Security

Transactional Power: The Transformation of U.S. Foreign Policy Under Donald Trump

The modern foreign policy of Donald Trump represents a structural departure from the post–World War II American doctrine that emphasized alliances, democratic values, and institutional leadership. Instead, Trump’s approach prioritizes transactional deal-making, bilateral…

April 13, 2026NATO, Trump, USA

Democracy Governance

Presidential Elections in Djibouti (2026)

Djibouti’s 2026 presidential election, scheduled for 10 April 2026, is formally competitive but substantively structured to preserve the dominance of President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh, who is seeking a sixth term after…

April 10, 2026Djibouti, elections

Corruption Democracy Geoeconomics Geopolitics Governance

Information Legitimation of a Possible Fidesz Victory in Hungary Through the Model of Premature Result Imposition

The closed-door negotiations in Budapest on April 7–8 between representatives of the U.S. administration and the Hungarian leadership created a favorable foreign-policy window for Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to implement…

April 10, 2026elections, Hungary, USA

Democracy Geopolitics Governance Terrorism

Moscow in the Sahel: The Strategic Erosion of U.S. Influence in West Africa

The military regimes of the Sahel states—Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger—are forming a new security and political alliance while distancing themselves from Western partners. Russia is playing a central role in shaping…

April 9, 2026Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Russia, USA

Geoeconomics National Security

Bypassing the System: Russia’s Crypto Networks in Africa and the Erosion of U.S. Sanctions Power

Moscow is using Africa as a space in which it can reduce the effectiveness of U.S. sanctions pressure by shifting external transactions into crypto-based payment channels operating outside the traditional…

April 8, 2026Niger, Nigeria, Russia, USA, Zimbabwe

Governance

Vietnam’s 2026 Presidential Election: Consolidation of Power and Strategic Continuity

The April 2026 presidential election in Vietnam resulted in the unanimous appointment of Tô Lâm as State President, consolidating his simultaneous role as General Secretary of the Communist Party. This marks a…

April 7, 2026elections, Vietnam

Corruption Governance

. Viktor Orbán’s Inner Circle Accused Him of Suppressing Freedom of Speech and Religion

Hungarian pastor Gábor Iványi, a well-known critic of Viktor Orbán, stated that the Hungarian prime minister uses the ideas of Christian nationalism as an electoral tool without genuinely adhering to them, and…

April 7, 2026Hungary

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