USA Archives - Robert Lansing Institute

Hybrid War Goes Orbital: Russia’s Threats Against SpaceX and the United States

In early February 2026, SpaceX, in cooperation with the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, introduced a “whitelisting” system for Starlink terminals. This move was a response to Russia’s large-scale use of unauthorized Starlink…

February 6, 2026Russia, Ukraine, USA

- Geopolitics Governance

Africa at the Margins: How U.S. Policy Shifts Create Openings for China and Russia

In early 2026, President Donald Trump nominated Frank W. Garcia Jr., a Republican congressional aide with limited Africa experience, to be Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of African Affairs, the…

February 4, 2026Africa, USA

Conflict War crimes Warfare

Whitewashing Aggression Through ‘Peace Talks’: Why Moscow Struck on the Coldest Night

On the night of 03 February 2026, Russia carried out a combined air attack against Ukraine. In total, Russian forces employed 450 strike UAVs, 4 3M22 Zircon anti-ship missiles, 32 Iskander-M / S-400 ballistic missiles, 7 Kh-22 /…

February 3, 2026Russia, Ukraine, USA

Geopolitics Intelligence ops National Security

Parliamentary Contact as a Tool of Influence: How Moscow Will Exploit Anna Paulina Luna Initiative

Republican Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna invited deputies of the State Duma of the Russian Federation to Washington with the declared purpose of holding consultations and discussions on a peaceful settlement of the war in…

February 2, 2026Russia, Ukraine, USA

Geopolitics Warfare

Russia’s Arms Exports to Ethiopia and the Erosion of U.S. Leverage in the Horn of Africa

Russia’s supply of Yak-130 trainer/light attack aircraft and Orion strike UAVs to Ethiopia provides Addis Ababa with additional strike and reconnaissance capabilities without the political conditions that typically accompany Western military assistance. For the United States,…

January 30, 2026Ethiopia, Russia, USA

Conflict Geopolitics Warfare

Probability of a U.S. strike on Iran (late Jan 2026)

What’s pushing the probability up Visible military posture shift: reporting over the past week describes a major U.S. buildup—carrier presence and additional air assets—plus multi-day U.S. aerial exercises in the region under CENTCOM. …

January 28, 2026Iran, Russia, USA

Geopolitics

Russia Revives Its Security Partnership with Syria After Assad’s Fall

Russia is rebuilding its security partnership with Syria following the collapse of the Assad regime and the rise to power of Ahmed al-Sharaa. Despite an initial cooling of relations, Moscow…

January 20, 2026Russia, Syria, USA

Estimates Geopolitics Governance

Trump’s Policies and Politics of Permanent Crisis

Coercion, Credibility, and a Strategic Disconnect in U.S. Foreign Policy The Trump administration’s aggressive foreign policy posture toward Mexico, Iran, Cuba, and Denmark reflects a governing logic built around coercion as policy,…

January 19, 2026Cuba, Greenland, Iran, Mexico, USA

Governance

Senior U.S. Cyber Operator Removed from Russia Task Force: Reasons, drivers, and operational consequences for U.S. cyber posture toward Moscow

The removal “for cause” of Air Force Lt. Col. Jason Gargan—commander of a CNMF joint task force aligned against Russia—signals an unusually sharp leadership rupture inside the Pentagon’s elite cyber…

January 15, 2026CNMF, Cyberattacks, USA

Intelligence ops Warfare

Pentagon Acquisition of a Suspected “Havana Syndrome” Device: Evidence Convergence, Russian Signatures, and the GRU’s Directed-Energy Playbook

New CNN reporting indicates that the U.S. Department of Defense—via a covert procurement involving Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)—acquired and tested a portable device believed by some investigators to be linked…

January 14, 2026GRU, Havana Syndrome, Russia, USA

USA