Geopolitics Archives - Robert Lansing Institute

Russian Shahed Strike on Romania and the Targeting of a Turkish Vessel in the Black Sea: Accident, Escalation, or Deliberate Strategy?

The reported impact of a Russian-origin Shahed-type drone on a residential building in the Romanian city of Galați, combined with the reported strike on a Turkish-operated vessel departing a Ukrainian…

May 29, 2026NATO, Romania, Russia, Turkiye, Ukraine

Geopolitics

Armenia as Russia’s Last Stronghold in the South Caucasus: Why the Kremlin’s Retreat Could Trigger a Wider Eurasian Geopolitical Collapse

The gradual erosion of Russian influence in Armenia may become one of the most strategically important geopolitical shifts in Eurasia since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Armenia has long represented…

May 28, 2026Armenia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Turkiye, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan

Geopolitics Governance

Turkiye’s Military Mission in Uzbekistan: Regional Threats, Strategic Calculations, and the Quiet Spread of NATO Standards in Central Asia

Ankara has dispatched a military advisory group to Uzbekistan to assist in reforming the country’s armed forces. The model Turkiye is now applying in Uzbekistan had previously been tested in…

May 26, 2026Turkiye, Uzbekistan

Geopolitics Nonproliferation Warfare

Russia’s Nuclear Shadow over Europe: Belarus as the Kremlin’s Forward Nuclear Platform

Russia, as part of large-scale three-day exercises on the preparation and potential use of nuclear weapons (May 19–21), delivered nuclear munitions to field storage sites on the territory of Belarus.…

May 22, 2026Belarus, nuclear weapons, Russia

Geoeconomics Geopolitics ideology

Russia’s Strategic Defeat in Africa: How the Kremlin’s Militarized Approach Is Losing to France’s Long-Term Economic Model

France’s foreign minister declared that Russia has suffered a geopolitical defeat in Africa. Commenting on Moscow’s attempts to expand its influence in Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, the French foreign minister described the Russian model…

May 15, 2026France, Russia

Economy Geoeconomics Geopolitics

Tajikistan’s Strategic Pivot Toward China: Consequences for Russia and the Future Balance of Power in Central Asia

President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon held a meeting with executives and representatives of Chinese companies, during which the parties discussed expanding trade and investment cooperation and launching new joint projects. Dushanbe is intensifying…

May 13, 2026China, Russia, Tajikistan, USA

Geopolitics Governance

European Parliament Resolution Signals Potential Freeze of EU Funding to Slovakia Over Rule-of-Law Concerns

The European Parliament has adopted a resolution calling for the possible suspension of EU funding to Slovakia over violations of democratic principles. By a majority vote (418 in favor, 207…

May 1, 2026Slovakia

Conflict Economy Energy Geoeconomics Geopolitics

The Russian Factor in the Middle East War:Economic Parasitism and the Kremlin’s Destabilization Strategy

The war in the Middle East around Iran has become not only a regional conflict but also an instrument of global economic and geopolitical competition. The primary beneficiary of this instability…

April 30, 2026China, Iran, Russia, USA

Geopolitics National Security

From Moscow to Beijing: Kyrgyzstan’s Strategic Pivot in Defense and Security Cooperation

Ruslan Mukambetov, Kyrgyzstan’s minister of defense, met with Dong Jun, China’s minister of defense, who arrived in Bishkek on an official visit. Welcoming the Chinese delegation, Mukambetov thanked them for accepting…

April 28, 2026China, Kyrgyzstan, USA

Conflict Geopolitics Warfare

Testing NATO’s Edge: Russian Hybrid Threats and Societal Resistance in the Baltics

The Security Council of the Russian Federation, in an official statement, accused Lithuania of creating a center of tension near the borders of the Kaliningrad Oblast. In particular, Lithuanian authorities are criticized for allegedly ignoring…

April 24, 2026Lithuania, Russia