Geoeconomics Archives - Robert Lansing Institute

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

Conflict Energy Geoeconomics Intelligence ops

Explosives Near Pipeline in Serbia — Actors, Motives, and Political Implications

Executive Summary The discovery of explosives near a major gas pipeline in northern Serbia—part of the TurkStream/Balkan Stream system supplying Russian gas to Hungary—is a highly politicized and strategically sensitive incident. While…

April 6, 2026GRU, Hungary, Serbia, Ukraine

Democracy Energy Geoeconomics Propaganda and Disinformation

Debates in the Swiss Parliament on Lifting Sanctions Against Russia: A Dangerous Signal for Europe

Discussions have intensified in the Swiss Parliament regarding the potential lifting of sanctions against Russia, amid a deepening energy crisis in Europe and ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Jean-Luc Addor,…

April 2, 2026Russia, Sanctions, Switzerland

Economy Geoeconomics Geopolitics

Budapest’s Backchannel: How Hungary Allegedly Helped Russia Undermine EU Sanctions

At the direction of Vladimir Putin, Budapest has been lobbying for the lifting of sanctions against Russian oligarchs. An audio recording from 2024 has surfaced online, confirming that Hungarian Foreign…

April 1, 2026Hungary, Russia, Usmanov

Economy Energy Geoeconomics

Russia’s Vietnam Play: A Growing Challenge to U.S. Sanctions and Indo-Pacific Strategy

Russia’s push to expand energy cooperation with Vietnam is not a transactional economic move, but part of a systemic strategy to rebuild global leverage under sanctions pressure. By embedding itself in…

March 24, 2026Russia, USA, Vietnam

- Economy Geoeconomics Geopolitics

Russia’s Strategic Entrenchment in Namibia: Resources, Influence, and the Shifting Balance in Southern Africa

Russia is seeking to consolidate its cooperation with Namibia as a durable base for influence in Southern Africa, gradually transforming its engagement from isolated economic ties into a comprehensive system of presence across…

March 20, 2026Russia

Corruption Geoeconomics

Sanctions at Sea: How Russia Uses African Flags to Protect Its Oil Exports

Russia is using African shipping registries to keep its “shadow fleet” operating and continue exporting oil despite U.S. sanctions. What once appeared to be occasional sanctions-evasion tactics has evolved into…

March 18, 2026Africa, Russia, shadow fleet

Corruption Economy Energy Geoeconomics Governance

Slovakia’s Fico Government Demands Removal of Two Russian Oligarchs from EU Sanctions

On 12 March 2026, media reported that Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanár, speaking during a hearing of the parliamentary Committee on European Affairs, acknowledged that Bratislava is attempting to remove two Russian oligarchs from…

March 16, 2026Russia, Sanctions, Slovakia

Economy Geoeconomics

The Greek Connection: How Shipowners Sustain Russia’s Shadow Oil Fleet

Greek Shipowners and Russia’s Shadow Fleet Greek shipowners launched a large-scale campaign to resell high-capacity tankers that had previously transported Russian cargoes. Nevertheless, major Greek shipping corporations continue to play…

March 12, 2026Greece, Russia, shadow fleet

Economy Geoeconomics

Russia’s Oil System on the Brink of Physical Collapse

Key Findings Russia’s oil sector has entered a phase of physical crisis, where the main constraints are no longer prices but storage and transportation capacity. A decline in seaborne exports below 3 million…

March 2, 2026Russia, Sanctions

Geoeconomics