Governance Archives - Robert Lansing Institute

Diplomacy as Cover: How Trump’s Calls with Putin Coincide with Russia’s Escalating Strikes on Ukraine

The resumption of high-level communication between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin—particularly via direct phone calls—has sparked concern among analysts and U.S. allies. These calls are frequently followed by intensified Russian…

July 4, 2025Russia, Ukraine, USA

Democracy Geopolitics Governance ideology

From Tiso to Fico: Slovakia’s Dangerous Drift Toward the Aggressor

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico’s foreign policy realignment toward Russia, combined with nationalist rhetoric and active distancing from Western security consensus, has sparked comparisons with the historical legacy of Jozef Tiso—the wartime Slovak…

July 3, 2025Nazi, Russia, Slovakia

Governance

Why Lukashenko Freed Tsikhanouski Now: Reasons, Consequences & Russian Involvement

I. WHO IS TSIKHANOUSKI, REALLY? Nominally: A popular blogger and political prisoner, husband of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya. In reality: He is widely believed to have been cultivated by Russia’s Ambassador to Belarus,…

June 24, 2025Belarus, Russia, USA

Geopolitics Governance ideology National Security Propaganda and Disinformation

The Legal Illusion of Empire: Why Russia Deems the USSR’s Collapse Illegal and How It May Try to Reverse It

The Legal Illusion of Empire: Why Russia Deems the USSR’s Collapse Illegal and How It May Try to Reverse It Executive Summary The Russian Federation’s claims that the collapse of…

June 18, 2025Russia, USSR

Conflict Democracy Estimates Governance

Chad on the Edge: Rising Tensions and Their Implications for Regional Stability and Peacekeeping

In the aftermath of contested presidential elections in May 2024 and amid unresolved internal divisions, Chad is facing mounting political and security tensions. The recent consolidation of power by President Mahamat…

June 16, 2025Chad

Drug trafficking Governance

Ecuador’s New Intelligence Law: Shield or Sword?

1. Executive Summary In early 2025, Ecuador passed a controversial new intelligence law aimed at restructuring the country’s security architecture amid rising violence and narcotrafficking. Marketed as a tool for…

June 16, 2025Ecuador

Democracy Geopolitics Governance National Security

Somalia Deepens Ties With Russia: Strategic Motives and Global Implications

Somalia’s deepening ties with Russia are more than transactional; they reflect frustration with existing security frameworks and a global contest for influence in Africa. For Moscow, Somalia is both a…

June 14, 2025Russia, Somalia, USA

Democracy Governance

Civic Resistance Grows Against Orbán’s Authoritarian Drift”

On June 111th Budapest protests crystallized growing national unease with creeping authoritarianism—particularly around civic freedoms, media pluralism, and LGBTQ+ rights. Powered by influential civic leaders and supported by political entities now…

June 12, 2025Hungary

Democracy Governance

The 2025 Elections in Burundi and Their Impact on Democracy and Political Stability

The 2025 elections in Burundi reflect a persistent pattern of controlled political pluralism under the veneer of electoral legitimacy. While overt violence has declined since the 2015 crisis, systemic manipulation and…

June 6, 2025Burundi

Geopolitics Governance

Why Russia Is Not Contractually Capable

Russia’s capacity to act as a trustworthy and legally compliant contracting party has eroded significantly due to its widespread violations of international law, politicization of contracts, weaponization of energy and trade, disregard…

May 28, 2025Russia, Ukraine, USA