Governance Archives - Robert Lansing Institute

From Partner to Principal Threat: How Russia Chose Confrontation—and What It Could Have Been

In first speech after taking office, Blaise Metreweli, the head of Britain’s intelligence service MI6, warned that Russia represents an aggressive, expansionist, and revisionist threat. Metreweli stated that assassination plots, sabotage, cyberattacks, and…

December 16, 2025Russia

Corruption Democracy Governance Propaganda and Disinformation

Protecting the Kremlin While Ignoring the Children: Orbán’s Response to Hungary’s Deepening Trust Crisis in Hungary Crisis

On 13 December 2025, a mass march took place in Budapest toward the office of Hungary’s prime minister on Castle Hill under the slogan “Protect the Children!”. Protesters carried torches and soft…

December 15, 2025Hungary

Democracy Governance

Elections Without Choice: Power, Ethnicity, and Foreign Influence in Congo-Brazzaville

Presidential elections are scheduled in the Republic of the Congo in 2026. Incumbent president Denis Sassou Nguesso, in power continuously since 1997 (and earlier from 1979–1992), is widely expected to run again…

December 12, 2025Congo-Brazzaville

Governance National Security

The Failure of Export Controls: A Legislative Blueprint to Prevent Technology from Powering Russia’s War Machine

On December 10, 2025, Bloomberg reported that five lawsuits had been filed in a Texas court against Intel Corp., Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), Texas Instruments, and Mouser Electronics—a distributor owned by Warren…

December 11, 2025Russia, Sanctions, USA

Governance

Beyond Rhetoric: Systemic Failures in Hungary’s Child Welfare and the Political Accountability of Viktor Orbán

The lead opposition figure in Hungary, Péter Magyar, has called on Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to resign in the wake of a major child-abuse scandal. According to Magyar, the government must…

December 10, 2025Hungary

Governance Intelligence ops

Japan’s Intelligence Minister: A Structural Transformation of National Security Architecture

Japan decided to establish a ministerial-level “intelligence minister” — i.e. a new national intelligence bureau under a dedicated cabinet post. Changing security environment Japan’s decision comes amid what Tokyo describes…

December 9, 2025Japan

- Geopolitics Governance Intelligence ops

Russia’s potential “Pro-Assad Coup” strategy In Syria: Motives, Mechanisms And Geopolitical Consequences

Since 2015, Russia has emerged as the single most decisive external actor keeping the Assad regime in power. Its military intervention reversed rebel gains, secured key economic and military footholds,…

December 8, 2025Russia, Syria, USA

Governance Terrorism

Changing the Guard: Tinubu’s Response to Escalating Violence and Political Pressure

On December 1, 2025, the then-Defence Minister Mohammed Badaru Abubakar resigned, officially citing health reasons. Within 24 hours, President Tinubu nominated former Chief of Defence Staff Christopher Musa as the…

December 4, 2025Nigeria

Governance Intelligence ops

Why Armenia Is Creating a Foreign Counterintelligence Service: Aims, Drivers, and Consequences

Strategic Context: The Collapse of the Russian Security Umbrella Armenia’s decision to build a dedicated foreign counterintelligence (CI) capability reflects a radical shift in Yerevan’s security doctrine.Three structural changes underpin the move:…

November 26, 2025Armenia

Geopolitics Governance Intelligence ops National Security

Mali as a Russian Bridgehead: The Kremlin’s Expansion and the Erosion of U.S. Power in the Sahel”

Russia, entering Mali under the pretext of “assistance in overcoming the fuel crisis,” is in fact constructing a new infrastructure of influence that directly undermines U.S. interests in the Sahel.…

November 25, 2025Mali, Russia, USA