Authoritarianism is a persistent threat to democracy and the transatlantic alliance. The Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine is only its latest effort to expand its influence, while it continues to spread disinformation abroad and crush dissent at home. The Chinese Communist Party has continued to seek influence across the transatlantic space through disinformation and strategic economic investment as it starts to flex newly found military power.
Authoritarian Threats
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CEPA Podcast: What is Next for Putin’s Russia?
Can Putin’s regime hold?
Death and the Kremlin
The sudden death of Sergey Ivanov, one of Putin’s closest allies and his former KGB colleague, has revived discussion about the post-Putin Kremlin.
Europe Should Buy Ukrainian Flamingos
Any idea that Tomahawk missiles can be deployed at scale across Europe are now dead. But there is an alternative.
Putin Orders Russian Women to Retreat
Vladimir Putin likes to portray his war on Ukraine as a continuation of World War II, but not for Russian women.
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Comprehensive Report
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War Without End: Understanding Russia’s Shadow Warfare
To secure its grip on power, Russia adopts Soviet practices coupled with modern tactics of covert influence, violence, and manipulation.
Related Events
Discover the latest CEPA events on how the transatlantic alliance can respond to growing authoritarian threats.
January 17, 2023
Chinese Media Influence: Lessons Learned from Central and Eastern Europe
Event
China
Disinformation
January 12, 2023
Shaping a Transatlantic Response to Chinese Influence
Event
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Disinformation
Regional Security
December 22, 2022
Melitopol: Life Under Russian Occupation
Event
Hybrid Threats
Regional Security
Russia
September 8, 2022
Russian Cyberwarfare: Unpacking the Kremlin’s Capabilities
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Russia
Event
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June 30, 2026
Putin Orders Russian Women to Retreat
Vladimir Putin likes to portray his war on Ukraine as a continuation of World War II, but not for Russian women.
June 30, 2026
CEPA Podcast: What is Next for Putin’s Russia?
Can Putin’s regime hold?
June 30, 2026
Death and the Kremlin
The sudden death of Sergey Ivanov, one of Putin’s closest allies and his former KGB colleague, has revived discussion about the post-Putin Kremlin.
June 30, 2026
Europe Should Buy Ukrainian Flamingos
Any idea that Tomahawk missiles can be deployed at scale across Europe are now dead. But there is an alternative.
June 26, 2026
The Wind and Solar Surprise: Renewables Keep Winning
The political mood across the US and Europe suggests that renewables are in retreat. It’s false.
June 26, 2026
Armenia’s New Pro-Russian Opposition Leader
As Armenia cemented its shift to the West in June’s election, a new Kremlin-aligned opposition emerged, giving Moscow a way to build influence and sow division.
June 25, 2026
An Ecosystem of Truth: Russian Independent Media in Exile
Russian independent media is a strategic asset in the struggle against the Russian dictatorship and its influence abroad.
June 25, 2026
Sowing the Seeds of Renewal: Russian Higher Education in Exile
Exiled Russian academics are building independent educational initiatives that preserve scholarship and train a new generation of students for a post-authoritarian future.
June 25, 2026
Dissent Across Borders: Russian Human Rights Organizations in Exile
Despite the Kremlin’s greatest efforts to silence Russian human rights organizations, they have adapted and continue to generate impact.
June 25, 2026
Russian Civil Society in Exile
Despite severe repression, Russian civil society groups remain a critical bastion for democracy.
June 24, 2026
Ukraine: Founding Member No. 1 of Europe’s New Defense Alliance
Any new European defense system must have the continent’s most battle-hardened military at its heart. Step forward, Ukraine.
June 24, 2026
Data Center Energy Challenge: Can the US and Europe Deliver?
Artificial intelligence ambitions are colliding not just with the limits of semiconductors or algorithms. They face electricity and environmental bottlenecks.
June 24, 2026
Merkel, Ukraine, and the Long Tail of Finlandization
The legacy of Finlandization extends far beyond most people’s understanding and can be useful in combating Russia.
June 24, 2026
Putin Is Losing the Fight to Keep Russians Offline
Millions of Russians are bypassing Vladimir Putin’s attempts to block access to the internet, and his regime is struggling to keep up.
June 22, 2026
American Conservatives Rally for Ukraine
Europeans may not know it, but leading Republicans are continuing to lobby for Ukraine and make the argument that Russia is an enemy.
June 22, 2026
Literal Bridge Building: Turkey and Armenia
Amid tensions with Russia, Armenia is pursuing a full rapprochement with Turkey.
June 18, 2026
Silence and Fear: Life Under Russian Occupation
Evidence and stories from people living under Russian occupation in Ukraine tell of fear, intimidation, and silence.
June 18, 2026
Behind the Lines: How Deep is China’s Engagement in Occupied Ukraine?
Is China expanding its presence in areas of Ukraine occupied by Russia? Or is it just another of the Kremlin’s propaganda games?
June 17, 2026
Why Do Seized Russian Tankers Sail Away?
French, British, Swedish, and Finnish boarding parties have taken control of shadow fleet vessels, with most freed shortly afterwards.
June 16, 2026
The Siege of Crimea
Many observers had written off Crimea and assumed Kyiv would have to surrender the peninsula in any peace deal with Moscow. But the tide is turning.
June 16, 2026
You’ve No Idea How Much Russia Hates Britain
Keir Starmer’s refusal to adequately fund defense is opening ever-greater opportunities for Kremlin exploitation. Its campaign is already underway.
June 15, 2026
Putin’s Kulturkampf
The Russian despotism has done everything possible to shut down information sharing, but culture retains a power beyond its reach.
June 15, 2026
Surrender Crimea and Reward Genocide
The Kremlin’s claim that Crimea is Russian rests on a 240-year project to erase the peninsula’s indigenous Crimean Tatar population. The world can’t turn away.
June 11, 2026
West Needs ‘Escalation Ladder’ for Putin’s Shadow War
NATO’s fragmented responses to Russia’s “accidental” border incursions are enabling Moscow’s shadow war.
June 11, 2026
Putin and Xi — Friends But Not Equals
Coordination of the relationship between China and Russia has grown, but it lacks balance and clear boundaries.
June 10, 2026
Europe and India: A Marriage of Convenience
The biggest of the so-called middle powers are seeking greater cooperation to hedge against war and uncertainty.
June 10, 2026
Russia-China Military Ties: Behind the Window Dressing
It’s important to distinguish between a genuine military alliance and the picture-perfect imagery of authoritarian propaganda.
June 9, 2026
Armenia Votes to Shun Russia
Pashinyan’s victory leaves the Kremlin with the difficult choice of confrontation or something more pragmatic.
June 8, 2026
When Russia Loses
The war’s end will mark the start of a race to secure the peace and make the continent the author of its future.
June 4, 2026
Europe’s Renewables Loosen Energy Stranglehold
Wind and solar power are best positioned to end the continent’s dependence on both Russian and American supplies.
June 4, 2026
Russia’s Economy: Bent Out of Shape
The economy’s two main tracks are moving in different directions.
June 4, 2026
Putin’s Deepening Problems Are Europe’s Opportunity
The Russian despot’s choices are narrowing as his war results in stalemate and impoverishment. Europe should make the most of it.
June 4, 2026
The China-Russia Meta-Threat: The Architecture of Authoritarian Power
Beijing and Moscow are steadily developing a growing partnership, despite obvious friction and structural asymmetries.
June 3, 2026
The Renaissance of US Interest in the South Caucasus
The US supports Armenia’s government ahead of key elections, fearing Pashinyan’s defeat by pro-Russian forces would upend peace efforts.
June 3, 2026
Russia’s Threadbare Air Defenses
For a country that has built its foreign policy on the notion of encirclement, Russia is surprisingly bad at defending itself.
June 2, 2026
The Threat of a Europe-China Trade War
With the US summit behind it, China is squaring up for the next defining trade battle. It’s very confident that it will win.
June 2, 2026
Who Will Govern AI?
Closing the gap between those who build AI and those who govern it is now a central challenge of the AI age.
June 1, 2026
Russia’s Influence Game: Church, State, and Espionage
The Kremlin’s efforts to show it’s an accepted member of the global community require enormous work by every arm of the regime.
May 31, 2026
Ukraine: Luring the Talented to Come Home
Ukraine’s future depends not only on winning the war against Russia, but convincing its young people to come home.
May 29, 2026
Compute: AI Bubble or Bottleneck?
The artificial intelligence boom must overcome supply shortages — in both the US and China.
May 29, 2026
Letter to London: New PM Must Fix Shadow Defenses
The UK is likely to have a new leader later this year. Here’s some day one advice from former British government official, Andy Pryce.
May 28, 2026
Reality Check: Breaking Free From China’s Drone Ecosystem is Harder Than You Think
China controls the global supply of drones. It will be challenging to cut this dependency.
May 28, 2026
The MATCH Act and Multilateral Cooperation
The MATCH Act would ask allies to follow the US on semiconductor equipment export restrictions. Unfortunately, key parts of this effort are divorced from reality.
May 27, 2026
China and the Hungarian Water Crisis
The days when Chinese industry received a free pass from the Budapest government are over. A water shortage has seen to that.
May 22, 2026
Russian Influence Drains Away in the South Caucasus
Armenia is building closer relations with the EU, underlining Russia’s diminishing influence in the South Caucasus.
May 22, 2026
The British and US Sanctions That Quietly Aren’t
US and UK sanctions relief aimed at easing domestic consumer pressures also transfer billions into Putin’s war chest, at Ukraine’s expense.
May 21, 2026
Georgian Dream’s Failed Pivot
How Georgia’s billionaire Ivanishvili misread Moscow, and why Washington shouldn’t reward his overtures.
May 21, 2026
What If Putin Can’t End the War?
The Kremlin maintains the threat of escalation to perpetuate the myth of Western aggression and justify its repression of the Russian people.
May 21, 2026
The Tank Is Dead? Oh No, it Isn’t
Tanks are being dismissed by some as the relics of an earlier age. But they’re still needed, and Europe lacks the numbers.
May 20, 2026
Russia Settles for Stagnation
The Kremlin’s own forecasters now admit what they long denied: the war economy has run out of steam.
May 20, 2026
A Defense Production Plan for Europe
More than a trillion dollars has been committed to allied defense spending by 2035. That must be used to boost industrial capacity, with transatlantic cooperation at its heart.
May 19, 2026
Ask Not for Whom the Tolls Apply: Payments for Shipping
As Iran tries to rake in cash from the Strait of Hormuz, might others be tempted to follow?
May 19, 2026
‘One More Day’: Ukraine Is Edging the War of Attrition
As Ukraine grinds out the hard yards, consistent Western support will determine the war’s outcome.
May 19, 2026
The Putin-Xi ‘Shared Consciousness’ Requires a Robust Western Response
The debate about the China-Russia relationship is over. It’s clear the two are locked into an intimate and dangerous quest to change the world in ways inimical to the West.
May 15, 2026
Russia’s Immortal Regiment: Marching Backwards
The dead of World War II are now conscripts for the Putin’s regime’s battle to own 20th century history.
May 15, 2026
Putin’s Contradictions Have a Poetic Precedent
The writings of a 19th Century Russian poet can help explain the shifting sands of Vladimir Putin’s relationship with the West.
May 13, 2026
A Global G2? Xi-Trump Summit Spurs Europe-Japan Jitters
Talks between the US and China will be anxiously observed by trading powers far from the summit venue.
May 13, 2026
What to Watch at the US-China Summit
President Trump and Chairman Xi both believe they hold the stronger hand.
May 13, 2026
It’s Time the West Marshaled its Economic Battalions
The days when military strategy and economic policy were largely separated have passed. They must be made to walk in lockstep.
May 12, 2026
Moscow Marches to Kyiv’s Tune
The Kremlin’s imagined path to victory in Ukraine is taking some very strange detours, all of which reflect badly on Vladimir Putin.
May 11, 2026
Russian Foreboding as Putin Marks Victory Day
Russians were told to expect a defining speech from Putin, but got only the same old messages and a sense that the Kremlin has lost direction.
May 7, 2026
Georgia’s Never, Never Port
A planned port on the shores of the Black Sea, which was meant to be Georgia’s gateway to Europe, has become a potent symbol of governmental drift.
May 6, 2026
Bulgaria: Hope Despite the Noise
Bulgaria has finally elected a strong government. But don’t assume its Kremlin-friendly instincts will be the defining feature.
May 6, 2026
How Private Capital Can Accelerate European Rearmament
Europe’s defense industry supply chains are technology dependent, fragile and lack surge capacity. Private capital can help if legislators act.
May 5, 2026
Sunset for the Russian Language
Russian was in retreat even before the full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine four years ago. Its imperial behavior has accelerated the process.
May 5, 2026
After the Ukraine War: How to Deter the Next One
Ukraine has impressed the world with the ingenuity, bravery and longevity of its defense against Russian aggression. Its next task is to build deterrence.
April 29, 2026
Blurred Borders: NATO Needs Answers to Hybrid Attacks
An exercise testing NATO responses to hybrid attacks revealed a need for the West to be more nimble, and willing to mimic enemy tactics to defend itself.
April 24, 2026
The Funhouse Mirror of Chinese Statistics
China is succeeding in many fields but numbers can be misleading. Approach with caution.
April 24, 2026
Russia Goes Mad MAX
The Kremlin wants to copy China by creating a superapp, MAX, to dominate Russian digital life. It can only succeed through coercion.
April 23, 2026
Transatlantic Action: Sanctioning Third-Country Enablers of Russia’s War Economy
If Russia is to be deterred, the United States and Europe must send a clearer signal to Russian entities and third-country enablers through sanctions.
April 23, 2026
Orbán Lost But Populism is Still Winning
The defeat of Hungary’s longtime leader has been seen by some as a watershed for European populism. But it still threatens a collective continental security policy.
April 21, 2026
Russia Scents Iran War Opportunity in South Caucasus
As Azerbaijan and Armenia discuss trade cooperation, Russia is muscling in. Baku should beware of Moscow’s charm offensive.
April 16, 2026
The Great Gates of Kyiv and a Vision of Peace
A 152-year-old piece of music, which unites European nations and climaxes at the gates of Kyiv, lets listeners imagine a better future.
April 16, 2026
Ireland in Crisis: A Warning to Europe
What began as local protests over surging fuel prices rapidly escalated into a defining nationwide crisis. Europe beware.
April 15, 2026
Russia and the Pain of Losing Hungary
The loss of a populist ally in Budapest has a range of financial consequences for the Putin regime.
April 13, 2026
Ukraine’s Air Defenses — World Class, and Improving
No wonder European and Arab states are beating a path to Ukraine’s door. While others have serious air defense questions, Kyiv has answers.
April 10, 2026
Ukraine’s Africa Campaign: Fighting Russia on Europe’s Southern Border
Kyiv is disrupting Russia’s African networks. That reduces Moscow’s ability to raise money and to pressure Europe’s most vulnerable frontier.
April 10, 2026
The Disastrous Paradox of Russian Fear
Putin and his coercive security services have created a problem among ordinary Russians that has no easy solution.
April 9, 2026
New Ways to Win Wars — Proposals for the West
For decades, Western defense strategy assumed that technological superiority ensured victory. That assumption proves false in modern conflict.
April 9, 2026
Russia to Armenia: Do as We Say
Armenia has few options despite its rapprochement with Azerbaijan and Turkey and ties to the EU. None provides Yerevan with viable security.
April 2, 2026
The ‘Meloni Model’ Won’t Tame France’s Populist Right
France and Italy are profoundly different nations with different political cultures, whatever some people might imagine.
April 1, 2026
Hesitation Risks Escalation: Europe and Russia’s Shadow War
The West has failed to stop Russia’s shadow war. CEPA assessed the steps needed to restore credible deterrence.
April 1, 2026
Europe’s Next Catastrophe Will Be No Accident
Russia’s shadow war in Europe is escalating. Allies need a new strategy before it’s too late.
April 1, 2026
Will the Caspian Region Be Drawn Into the Iran War?
There are significant risks for the South Caucasus and Europe from the possible spread of the US-Israeli war with Iran.
April 1, 2026
Cyber Warfare 101: Bluff Don’t Tell
Uncertainty is leverage in cyber conflict. Iran possibly diluted its threats of electronic devastation by demonstrating how little it can do.
March 31, 2026
On Tech, the West Drifts Apart While China Sprints Ahead
Without a viable European alternative, replacing what America provides would cost trillions and take decades.
March 31, 2026
War Without End: Deterring Russia’s Shadow War
Either Europe will continue allowing Russia’s shadow war to set the terms of escalation, or it will act now to prevent a larger war.
March 30, 2026
Pollution and Power Cuts: Russia Targets Moldova
The Kremlin has not ended its efforts to subvert and capture Moldova, as recent events make clear.
March 30, 2026
Putin Tells Billionaires to Fill the Begging Bowl
There is no sense of rejoicing in the Kremlin, even as the oil price soars and revenues rise.
March 27, 2026
A Playbook to Clear the Strait of Hormuz
The US and allies have recent experience working together in maritime choke points that should be considered in any operation close to Iran.
March 26, 2026
Moscow’s Plasticine Man Comes to Washington
The Russian parliamentarians now arriving in the US have very little influence back home. Their trip has another purpose.
March 26, 2026
Who Owns America’s Tech Future?
A surge of foreign investment in US tech raises tough questions about supply chain security.
March 25, 2026
Putin Demands More Efficient Military Corruption
Changes at the top of the defense hierarchy reveal old-style graft and pressure to raise military spending efficiency.