Russia Archives - Robert Lansing Institute

Russia–Iran Defense Convergence: Strategic Implications for U.S. Policy

Russian military deliveries to Tehran indicate the formation of a deeper defense alliance that extends beyond a situational partnership. The use of heavy transport aircraft to deliver undisclosed cargo—likely related…

November 4, 2025Iran, Russia, USA

migration Warfare

Indicator of Escalation: Belarus Tests EU Defenses With Coordinated Hybrid Actions

On 2 November 2025, information was published that in October Lithuania recorded the highest number in the past six months of attempted illegal crossings from Belarusian territory—275. Nearly half of…

November 3, 2025Belarus, EU, Russia

Corruption Intelligence ops

Kirill Dmitriev: Putin’s Unofficial Envoy and Financial Operative – An Investigative Exposé

Kirill Dmitriev has emerged as an unofficial emissary of the Kremlin in the United States, operating under the veneer of economic diplomacy. In October 2025, Dmitriev – officially Russia’s Special Presidential Envoy…

October 31, 2025Russia, Ukraine, USA

Conflict Geopolitics ideology Warfare

Poseidon and the Politics of Fear: Russia’s New Deterrence Doctrine”

Russia is increasingly turning its nuclear tests into a political weapon of pressure against the United States." Russia’s Poseidon (NATO: Kanyon) is an ambitious nuclear-powered unmanned underwater vehicle – essentially a gigantic autonomous…

October 30, 2025Russia, USA

Conflict Governance ideology Propaganda and Disinformation

The reinvention of an Old Front: Propaganda and Proxy Battles in Northern Kosovo

In the wooded hills and small towns of northern Kosovo there is a familiar script playing itself out - territorial ambiguity, ethnic mistrust, parallel institutions. But there is another script now…

October 29, 2025Kosovo, Russia, Serbia

- Conflict Warfare

Hybrid War at the Border: Russia’s Covert Assault on Latvian Sovereignty

Latvia stands on the front line of NATO’s contest with Russian hybrid warfare. The threat is pervasive and evolving: cyber attacks, propaganda, subterfuge, and covert saboteurs can be as damaging in…

October 28, 2025Latvia, Russia

Geopolitics Intelligence ops National Security Peacekeeping

Special Envoy Steve Witkoff: Peacebroker or Pawn of Russian Interests?

Steve Witkoff’s tenure as Trump’s special envoy exemplifies a perilous fusion of inexperience, personal loyalties, and ideological bias in American diplomacy. His background as a dealmaking businessman and Trump confidant brought him…

October 27, 2025Russia, Ukraine, USA

Intelligence ops National Security

Beijing’s Honeypot Strategy: How China Adopts Russian Espionage Tactics in the United States

China, in the process of expanding its HUMINT (human intelligence) assets, is increasingly adopting Russian forms and methods of espionage. Recently, there has been a noticeable trend toward the active…

October 24, 2025China, Russia, USA

Conflict Democracy Geopolitics

How the International Paralympic Committee Helped Moscow Break Its Isolation”

Russia is seeking to break out of political isolation and to “soften sanctions” in the non-military sphere — by overcoming restrictions in humanitarian areas, particularly sports, while simultaneously pushing the…

October 23, 2025Russia, Sanctions

Geopolitics Governance

The Kremlin’s Shadow Game: SVR Exploits Rumors About Xi to Accelerate Power Shift in Russia”

The Russian leadership, represented by Patrushev and Naryshkin, is seeking to accelerate the power transition in the country by exploiting speculation about the health of the Chinese leader. The Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) of…

October 22, 2025China, Russia

Russia