Category: Eurasia

Hybrid warfare: ‘squelching Internet freedom’

     

Russia has breathed new life into the concept of war by other means. Using an increasingly diverse array of tactics, conventional and otherwise, the country has deftly wielded its political… Read more »

A new totalitarian syndrome? Putin’s goal is to weaken Western democracy

     

Moscow has perpetrated cyberwarfare, hacking, fake news and political interference for years, notes Leon Aron, director of Russian studies at the American Enterprise Institute. Judging by all this—and especially by… Read more »

Poland ‘still a democracy’ – but illiberal?

     

Polish President Andrzej Duda, who fell out with the ruling party last month over judicial reform, risked escalating tension by blocking army appointments proposed by the NATO member’s government, Bloomberg… Read more »

Germany resisting Russia’s fake news war on vulnerable Europe

     

German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s concern is not just the Russian media outlets that spread disinformation, says Simon Hegelich, a professor of political science at the Technical University of Munich. It… Read more »

What democratic West needs for resilience and renewal

     

If the West engages in the world’s struggles without a geo-strategic concept, chaos will reign, according to Dr Henry Kissinger, former U.S. Secretary of State and National Security Advisor. “Vladimir… Read more »

‘Strongman trades trump democratic deficits’: why are illiberal democrats popular?

     

Poland’s tightening grip on its judiciary has prompted nationwide protests and threats of European sanctions, but its asset prices and currency have soared this year as they have in plenty… Read more »

Russian propaganda and disinformation operations: domestic and cross-border drivers

     

 Two new laws in Russia jeopardize the privacy and security of internet users and aim to further control Russians’ freedom of expression, Human Rights Watch said today: The legislation, signed… Read more »

Clash of Narratives: disinformation vital to eight phases of Russia’s hybrid warfare

     

Ever since the Kremlin’s meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, Western capitals have been alarmed at Russia’s hybrid warfare campaigns, notes analyst Kaan Sahin. Germany in particular had already… Read more »

Weaponizing kleptocracy: the four circles of ‘Russia’s Crony Capitalism’

     

Russia’s political shift to an authoritarian kleptocracy started with Vladimir Putin’s prosecution and jailing of Mikhail Khodorkovsky, according to Bill Browder, CEO, Hermitage Capital, and author of “Red Notice: A… Read more »