Editorial paper at Robert Lansing Institute

Roberto Vannacci’s Futuro Nazionale: From Coded Fascist Symbolism to the Normalization of Far-Right Radicalism

The Italian far-right movement Futuro Nazionale, led by MEP Roberto Vannacci, has found itself at the center of a scandal following the exposure of a closed WhatsApp community of roughly…

August 19, 2026Futuro Nazionale, Italy, Nazi

Conflict Warfare

Russia’s Drone Launch Network: A New Long-Range Threat to NATO’s Eastern Flank

Russia Is Building a Distributed Infrastructure for Mass Drone Warfare Russia’s establishment of at least ten new or modernized bases for long-range UAVs should be viewed not merely as an…

August 18, 2026NATO, Poland, Russia, UAVs

Governance influence ops Terrorism

When Radicalism Becomes Politics: The AfD, the “Saxon Separatists,” and the Threat of “Day X”

Björn Höcke, leader of the AfD’s Thuringia branch, has consistently defended three former party members who are defendants in the case involving the so-called “Saxon Separatists” (Sächsische Separatisten). Germany’s Federal…

August 17, 2026AfD, Germany

Conflict National Security Warfare

Cluster Munitions for Ukraine: Military Utility, Humanitarian Risks, and Implications for U.S. and NATO Security

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has opposed the transfer of cluster munitions to Ukraine. This is not the first instance in which the organization’s position has coincided with Russian interests in…

August 14, 2026Ukraine, USA

Coup Intelligence ops

Kémi Séba and the Failed Benin Coup: Russia’s Influence Networks Test the Gulf of Guinea

The arrest of prominent Pan-African activist Kémi Séba in South Africa adds a new dimension to the investigation into the failed December 2025 coup in Benin and highlights the increasingly…

August 13, 2026Benin, France, GRU, Russia, Wagner Group

Economy Governance

From Protest to Responsibility: The Budget Deficit as a Test of AfD’s Governing Capacity

An analysis of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party program in Saxony-Anhalt identified a risk of an annual deficit of at least €2.2 billion. In total, researchers counted 136 measures…

August 12, 2026AfD, Germany

Governance Intelligence ops National Security

From Diplomatic Cover to Agent Networks: The Russian Factor in Austria’s Espionage Law Reform

At least 21 of the 117 employees serving at Russian diplomatic missions in Austria have been identified as having confirmed or possible links to Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), military…

August 11, 2026Austria

Governance

Crisis Within the BSW and the Rise of the AfD: Implications for Germany’s Political Stability and Russian Interests

Twenty-one members of the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt simultaneously resigned from the party. Those leaving included members of district councils and local party leaders from Halle, Burgenlandkreis, and Mansfeld-Südharz. In…

August 10, 2026AfD, BSW, Germany

influence ops Propaganda and Disinformation

Foreign Influence Operations in Italy: Assessing Russian, Chinese, and Iranian Information Warfare Against Democratic Institutions

In its latest report, the Italian Parliamentary Committee for the Security of the Republic (Copasir) concluded that Russia, China, and Iran are conducting coordinated disinformation and influence campaigns aimed at…

August 7, 2026China, Iran, Italy, Russia

Governance ideology

Italy’s Ukraine Policy Under Pressure: Domestic Politics and the Future of NATO Cohesion

The issue of military assistance to Ukraine is becoming an increasingly divisive fault line in Italian politics ahead of the 2027 parliamentary elections. Former Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, leader…

August 6, 20265SM, elections, Italy, Ukraine

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