France Archives - Robert Lansing Institute

Strategic Convergence: Jean-Luc Mélenchon, Russian Information Operations, and the Battle for France’s Foreign Policy

The founder and leader of the left-wing populist party "La France Insoumise" (France Unbowed), Jean-Luc Mélenchon, recently called on the French government to withdraw from NATO, refrain from joining any…

July 1, 2026France

Geopolitics Governance

Bardella’s Repositioning and the Erosion of Russia’s Influence in the European Far Right

The statements by Jordan Bardella, leader of France’s National Rally (Rassemblement National) and one of the leading contenders in the next presidential election, reflect a broader transformation underway within Europe’s…

June 17, 2026France, Russia

Propaganda and Disinformation Psyops

Germany as the “Threat”: How Pro-Kremlin Networks Seek to Undermine European Defense Unity

The statements made by Florian Philippot regarding Germany’s military modernization represent more than an isolated political opinion or Eurosceptic rhetoric. They reflect a broader information narrative actively promoted by pro-Kremlin influence networks seeking…

May 21, 2026France, Germany, Phillippot, Russia

Governance Propaganda and Disinformation Psyops

Kremlin Narratives Inside Europe: Florian Philippot, Euroclear, and Russia’s Information Warfare Against Support for Ukraine

The reaction of Florian Philippot, leader of the marginal French far-right movement The Patriots, to the lawsuit filed by the Central Bank of Russia against the Belgian depository Euroclear demonstrates how pro-Kremlin political actors inside Europe…

May 19, 2026France, Phillippot, 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

Democracy Governance

Strategic Convergence: Mélenchon, NATO Skepticism, and Russia’s European Calculus”

The leader of the far-left party La France Insoumise (Unbowed France), Jean-Luc Mélenchon, has publicly announced his intention to run in the 2027 French presidential election, which would mark his fourth attempt to…

May 5, 2026France

Conflict Nonproliferation

Deterrence in Transition: Russia Confronts the Prospect of a European Nuclear Pillar”

Gennady Gatilov, Russia’s permanent representative to the United Nations in Geneva, stated that Moscow has prepared “adequate response measures” in the event that France increases the scale of its nuclear arsenal or…

April 29, 2026France, NATO, Russia

Geopolitics Propaganda and Disinformation

“Frexit for Energy? How Calls to Lift Russia Sanctions Threaten Europe’s Security”

Calls within France to suspend sanctions on Russian oil and gas reflect a broader and more dangerous trend: the gradual politicization and potential fragmentation of the Western sanctions regime. While framed…

March 30, 2026France, Phillippot, Russia

Conflict Geopolitics

Manufactured Enemies: The Strategic Logic Behind Niger’s War Talk with France”

A member of Niger's ruling junta has urged his country's citizens to prepare for "war" with France, as relations with the former colonial power hit new lows. Why Now: Strategic…

February 13, 2026France, Niger, Russia

Geoeconomics Geopolitics Intelligence ops Propaganda and Disinformation

Frexit Without Exit: How Anti-EU Movements Shape French Politics Without Winning Power

A march by supporters of France’s withdrawal from the European Union (“Frexit”) took place in central Paris. On February 2, 2026, more than a thousand people gathered in the French…

February 4, 2026EU, France, Russia

France