USA 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

Geoeconomics Geopolitics National Security

U.S. Sanctions Lifted on Rosatom: The Case of Hungary’s Paks II Nuclear Power Plant

The Biden administration has quietly authorized a sanctions exemption for Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom to allow completion of Hungary’s Paks II nuclear power plant. This move, occurring amid ongoing Western sanctions on Russia…

June 30, 2025Hungary, Rosatom, Russia, Ukraine, USA

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

Conflict Geopolitics

Russia and Iran After the Escalation with Israel: Strategic Partners, Conditional Allies

Executive Summary Despite years of strategic alignment, Russia did not provide direct military or political support to Iran during its recent confrontation with Israel. This reflects a calculated restraint rooted in Russia’s own geopolitical…

June 19, 2025Iran, Israel, Russia, USA

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

Conflict Geoeconomics Geopolitics

Escalating Tensions Between Iran and Israel (June 2025): Timing, Scenarios, and Global Implications

Recent weeks have seen a dramatic intensification of tensions between Iran and Israel, marked by tit-for-tat military threats, cyberattacks, and covert operations across the region. With the specter of direct…

June 13, 2025Iran, Israel, USA

Geopolitics Psyops

Russia’s Strategic Signaling: The Baltic States in Moscow’s New Precondition for Ending the Ukraine War

In a recent provocative statement, a deputy from the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) declared that ending the war in Ukraine would require the withdrawal of NATO troops from…

June 11, 2025Baltic, Russia, USA

Conflict Geopolitics National Security

U.S. Response to Ukrainian UAV Strikes on Russian Airfields: Kellogg’s View, Strategic Implications, and Geopolitical Calculus

The Ukrainian UAV strikes on Russian airfields housing strategic bombers mark a significant evolution in the war’s trajectory, highlighting Kyiv’s capacity to reach deep into Russian territory. U.S. National Security…

June 4, 2025Russia, Ukraine, USA

Conflict Geopolitics National Security

The Istanbul Negotiations: Russia’s Strategy of Undermining Peace Talks and the Limits of Diplomacy

The Istanbul negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, held in March 2022, initially raised cautious optimism about the possibility of a diplomatic resolution to the war. However, they ultimately failed to…

June 3, 2025Russia, Ukraine, USA

Intelligence ops National Security Propaganda and Disinformation

Orthodoxy and Propaganda: Analyzing Tucker Carlson’s Interview with Vadim Novinsky

Tucker Carlson’s interview with Vadim Novinsky represents a calculated piece of Russian information warfare, designed to serve Kremlin interests at a time of heightened geopolitical tension. Novinsky, an oligarch-turned-churchman with dual…

May 29, 2025Russia, USA

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