Why does it matter? Because as this excellent (and balanced, and objective) article by @sanshiro.bsky.social on Soviet and Russian infiltration of academia lays out, Valdai is still useful to Russia in laundering and legitimating its narratives. www.tandfonline.com/doi/epdf/10....

🚨New article “The Elephant in the Lecture Hall: Russian Intelligence and Western Academia”🐘 Now FREE ACCESS:👉https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2025.2556211 Should we resume academic cooperation with Russian universities someday—despite their deep integration into the (COUNTER)INTELLIGENCE STATE?

Trump’s peace deal has sidelined Moscow, putting Washington at the centre of South Caucasus geopolitics. But with Azerbaijan’s demands and Iran’s opposition, it’s unclear if this is a breakthrough or just another geopolitical puzzle, writes Sanshiro Hosaka. @sanshiro.bsky.social

China is eroding—but not replacing—Russia’s sphere of influence in Central Asia, where countries are increasingly pursuing multi-vector foreign policies. The EU could play an important role. 📄 New report by Sanshiro Hosaka and Toomas Hanso. @sanshiro.bsky.social

Moscow is concerned about growing Chinese influence in Central Asia, but the political necessity to maintain good ties with Beijing keeps rivalry muted. What role can the EU play in this geopolitical landscape? 📄 New report by Sanshiro Hosaka and Toomas Hanso. @sanshiro.bsky.social

Full room for a panel on decolonizing digitally and the new ways - including Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) - towards the uncovering of academic and industrial production of disinformation about the RUTA region(s) with returning @sanshiro.bsky.social, Anselm Schmidt & @sergepoliakoff.bsky.social 💥

My new piece "Epistemic Communities and 'Agents of Influence'" describes the modus operandi of Russian intelligence interacting with Western scholars during the Cold War, warning against Track II diplomacy with Moscow on examples of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Is the Kremlin's presence in the #SouthCaucasus still significant? What levers and constraints does Moscow have, and how could and should the #EU counter #Russia's malicious activities in the region? An interview with @sanshiro.bsky.social ⬇️

The Estonian Foreign Intelligence Service's annual report explains about the latest activities of the Russian FSB's Military Counterintelligence Department (DVKR), which is quite informative. raport.valisluureamet.ee/2025/en/5-ru...

3月12日「４年目に入ったウクライナ侵略戦争 ロシアの行方と国際社会の選択」（オンライン）で「ロシアの対ウクライナ・欧州戦略？ −−影響・破壊工作の観点から」について話します。この1週間に起きた激動の米欧関係も踏まえ、発表内容をかなり修正しなければ・・・ www.jfir.or.jp/2025/02/19/1...

Many thanks to our excellent moderator, panelists and audience! Important takeaways: nuances of "pro-Russian" in the South Caucasus; illiberal "conservative values" shared by autocrats and US government; alternatives for Russia are multiple; however, who will provide security?

In the U.S., the Government Accountability Office regularly monitors whether foreign aid is used as intended and aligns with policy objectives. This political decision will damage the global reputation of the U.S., potentially even more severely than its withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.

Happy to share my new report! Why is anti-Russian Georgia now at the highest risk of RUS influence? Why is Armenia, RUS's key ally, distancing from Moscow? Why is the RUS-Azerbaijan "allied cooperation" so clumsy? RUS influence was broken into 3 types and analyzed across domains.

政治を研究する者が価値判断から逃れることは一種のパラドクスではないだろうか。私は政治学者はみかけの「中立」を装うより、自らの価値判断を説明すべきだと思っている。地球温暖化問題のような自然科学ですら価値判断を伴う。学者がナラティブを発信、政策に影響を与えうる政治の研究では、→

フィンランドとドイツを結ぶ海底通信ケーブルが損傷。2年前に破壊工作があったノルド・ストリームと並行してバルト海を通る。両国外務省は事態への懸念を表明、破壊工作の可能性を含め原因を調査中。欧州はロシアの対ウクライナ侵攻だけでなく、悪意あるアクターのハイブリッド脅威にも晒されている。 www.auswaertiges-amt.de/en/newsroom/...