In today’s geopolitical chessboard, the Kremlin is investing less in tanks—and more in televisions, churches, and contraband. Moldova, a fragile democracy teetering between reform and destabilization, has become a testing ground for a new model of Russian influence. In this model, formal state institutions are gradually eroded, while an alternative…

When we think of the mafia, we often picture violent gangs engaged in drug smuggling, arms trafficking, illicit alcohol and tobacco trades, contract killings, prostitution rings, robberies, illegal gambling, car theft, and extortion. Yet this is only a fraction of the “specializations” pursued by mafia groups around the globe—each with…

It is no secret that numerous countries worldwide offer citizenship or at least a pathway to citizenship in exchange for financial contributions positioned as investments in the economic development of the respective state. Despite the substantial sums involved—often reaching millions—there is no shortage of individuals seeking to obtain the coveted…

This week ended with several European countries announcing that Russia had either carried out or attempted to carry out hacker attacks on critical EU state infrastructure. The statement from the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas, on July 18, 2025, sounded the alarm: Russia is systematically attacking Europe—across…

Hungarian-Russian cooperation in the energy sector is not a coincidence—it reflects a deepening political and economic dependence of Hungary’s leadership on Russian interests. At the heart of this relationship is not just geopolitical alignment, but a network of influence that implicates top officials in Viktor Orbán’s government, notably Hungary’s Interior…