USA Archives - Robert Lansing Institute

From Moscow to Beijing: Kyrgyzstan’s Strategic Pivot in Defense and Security Cooperation

Ruslan Mukambetov, Kyrgyzstan’s minister of defense, met with Dong Jun, China’s minister of defense, who arrived in Bishkek on an official visit. Welcoming the Chinese delegation, Mukambetov thanked them for accepting…

April 28, 2026China, Kyrgyzstan, USA

National Security Nonproliferation

The Global Consequences of a Nuclear Detonation in Low Earth Orbit

The growing concern in Washington over potential Russian plans to deploy nuclear weapons in space reflects a deeper transformation in the nature of strategic competition. Statements by Stephen Whiting indicate that such a…

April 17, 2026Russia, space domain, USA

Economy

Fragmenting Finance: Russia’s ‘Mir’ System and the Erosion of U.S. Financial Dominance

Russia is advancing the expansion of its payment infrastructure through the “National Payment Card System Mir,” positioning it as an alternative for use in Angola. The initiative is not merely technical…

April 14, 2026Russia, USA

Democracy Governance ideology National Security

Transactional Power: The Transformation of U.S. Foreign Policy Under Donald Trump

The modern foreign policy of Donald Trump represents a structural departure from the post–World War II American doctrine that emphasized alliances, democratic values, and institutional leadership. Instead, Trump’s approach prioritizes transactional deal-making, bilateral…

April 13, 2026NATO, Trump, USA

Corruption Democracy Geoeconomics Geopolitics Governance

Information Legitimation of a Possible Fidesz Victory in Hungary Through the Model of Premature Result Imposition

The closed-door negotiations in Budapest on April 7–8 between representatives of the U.S. administration and the Hungarian leadership created a favorable foreign-policy window for Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to implement…

April 10, 2026elections, Hungary, USA

Democracy Geopolitics Governance Terrorism

Moscow in the Sahel: The Strategic Erosion of U.S. Influence in West Africa

The military regimes of the Sahel states—Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger—are forming a new security and political alliance while distancing themselves from Western partners. Russia is playing a central role in shaping…

April 9, 2026Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Russia, USA

Geopolitics Governance ideology

Trump’s Iran Rhetoric Is Not Deterrence. It Is Strategic Self-Sabotage

Every revolutionary regime depends on a story to survive. The Islamic Republic’s story has always been simple, emotionally powerful, and politically effective. Iran, according to the Khomeinist worldview, stands as a righteous…

April 8, 2026Iran, USA

Geoeconomics National Security

Bypassing the System: Russia’s Crypto Networks in Africa and the Erosion of U.S. Sanctions Power

Moscow is using Africa as a space in which it can reduce the effectiveness of U.S. sanctions pressure by shifting external transactions into crypto-based payment channels operating outside the traditional…

April 8, 2026Niger, Nigeria, Russia, USA, Zimbabwe

Drug trafficking Geopolitics National Security

From Narcos to Networks: How CJNG Is Tapping Global Arms Supply Chains

Federal prosecutors in Virginia have charged a group that attempted to supply the Mexican cartel CJNG with an arsenal worth €53.7 million. U.S. investigators have linked the central figure, Peter…

March 25, 2026CJNG, Mexico, Russia, USA

Economy Energy Geoeconomics

Russia’s Vietnam Play: A Growing Challenge to U.S. Sanctions and Indo-Pacific Strategy

Russia’s push to expand energy cooperation with Vietnam is not a transactional economic move, but part of a systemic strategy to rebuild global leverage under sanctions pressure. By embedding itself in…

March 24, 2026Russia, USA, Vietnam

USA