While the Kremlin views the forging of strong relations with African leaders as geopolitical sustenance, Russia is actively engaging in a campaign of indoctrination within African societies, much like it does on home soil. Although Russia is not well-known for its soft-power activities, this reputation downplays the country’s interest in improving its public perceptions abroad. Russia’s soft power involvement in Africa, which works in parallel to and underpins its security and resources interests has accelerated in recent years to infiltrate communications.

Since the end of World War II, U.S. leaders have sought to lead their European allies and, as a corollary, frowned on any steps by Europe toward greater self-sufficiency in defense. Europe has wanted autonomy without providing adequate defense resources, while the United States has wanted greater European defense contributions without diminishing NATO and U.S. political influence.

1. ANDREW COTTEY, PROFESSOR IN THE DEPARTMENT OF GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS AT UNIVERSITY COLLEGE CORK
2. RALUCA CSERNATONI, FELLOW AT CARNEGIE EUROPE
3. CARME COLOMINA, SENIOR RESEARCH FELLOW AT THE BARCELONA CENTRE FOR INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS (CIDOB)
4. MARTA DASSÙ, SENIOR DIRECTOR OF EUROPEAN AFFAIRS AT THE ASPEN INSTITUTE
5. OLIVIER DE FRANCE, SENIOR RESEARCH FELLOW AT THE FRENCH INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL AND STRATEGIC AFFAIRS
6. JOHN R. DENI, RESEARCH PROFESSOR AT THE U.S. ARMY WAR COLLEGE’S STRATEGIC STUDIES INSTITUTE

After the annexation of Crimea, the peninsula's prized resources were identified and distributed among Russian oligarchs with connections to the Russian President, handing out everything from wine vineyards to hockey clubs to steelworks. Nationalization began in Crimea immediately after the annexation. Ukrainian state property became Russian, or rather Crimean, according to a resolution entitled “On the issues of managing the property of the Republic of Crimea.” The list of what was taken over is still growing. It includes thousands of businesses, apartments and land plots.

Source: Carnegie Europe

 Achieving a liberal and rules-based world order looks more like a dream than a realistic aspiration. However, there is great uncertainty as to what will replace it. China and Russia, the most powerful challengers of the status quo, do not propose an alternative model but rather aim at expanding their influence in the existing system.

1. USA
2. Hong Kong
3. Japan
4. South Korea
5. Vietnam
6. India
7. Netherlands
8. Germany
9. Malaysia
10. Taiwan
11. United Kingdom
12. Singapore
13. Australia
14. Thailand
15. Mexico
16. Russia
17. Indonesia
18. Philippines
19. Brazil
20. United Arab Emirates
21. Canada
22. Italy
23. France
24. Spain
25. Poland
26. Saudi Arabia
27. Belgium
28. Türkiye
29. Bangladesh
30. South Africa
31. Pakistan
32. Chile

1. Netherlands
2. Germany
3. Italy
4. France
5. Spain
6. Poland
7. Belgium
8. Czech Republic
9. Greece
10. Sweden
11. Hungary
12. Denmark
13. Romania
14. Slovenia
15. Portugal
16. Ireland
17. Austria
18. Finland
19. Slovakia
20. Bulgaria
21. Croatia

1. Hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels, during his 2016 campaign
2. Georgia election tampering probe: Trump’s  alleged efforts to overturn his 2020 election defeat in that state. Trump asks Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to "find" enough votes needed to overturn Trump's election loss in Georgia. Legal experts said Trump may have violated at least three Georgia criminal election laws: conspiracy to commit election fraud, criminal solicitation to commit election fraud and intentional interference with performance of election duties.

Russia has adopted a new foreign policy doctrine that prioritizes reforming world politics away from the hegemony of the United States and its Western allies and supporting countries that choose to fight neocolonialists and foreign interference.

Author: Dr. Andreas Umland, Analyst with the Stockholm Center for Eastern European Studies (SCEEUS) at the Swedish Institute of International Affairs (UI)

There are numerous reasons why negotiations to end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine are unlikely to be successful, but one stumbling block is particularly serious and rarely mentioned.