This volume is the result of the work of scientists from several scientific disciplines who used various methods and forecasting techniques to answer the question: "What would happen if NATO and the EU weakened in the 21st century and Russia continued to influence the already strongly democratized and free-market societies in the region?" It is prognostic and intended to present the results of research on the political and social perception of the surveyed nations in the face of the weakening of the EU / NATO international security structures and the constant pressure from the Russian Federation in the 21st century. Please note: The research in this book covers the period 2020–2021.

Written by intelligence scholars and experts, this book chronicles the evolution of the CIA: its remarkable successes, its controversial failures and its clandestine operations. The history of the agency is presented through the prism of its declassified documents, with each being supplemented by insightful contextual analysis.

There are different perceptions in the west about Russian interference in the EU; some states see Russia as a friendly partner, and some view it as a hostile power, but, majority of states want to maintain friendly relations with Russia. These factors matter, and the relations with and perceptions of Russia certainly differ between various countries. It is noted that the US and NATO presence in Eastern Europe was a bigger challenge to the national security of Russian Federation, and that the US wanted to pressure Germany to undermine the Nord Stream-2 pipeline project. The construction of the controversial natural gas pipeline Nord Stream 2 has been delayed for months and completion is increasingly at risk after the US imposed sanctions on involved companies and threatened further steps. The pipeline under the Baltic Sea has been the subject of heated debate for years. The book focuses on the Security Challenges faced by the Baltic States, Ukraine and Belarus.

"As the number of peacekeeping efforts conducted internationally under the aegis of military forces increases, thers is more pressure to resolve the dilemma inherent in all peacekeeping activities-how to combine efficiency with legitimacy. This dilemma is particularly acute in the many conflicts that have mushroomed in the Eurasian region following the disintegration of the Soviet state. Given the history of Soviet Russian repression of ethnicnational entities, can Russia-the USSR's primary heir-be relied on to resolve rather than inflame conflicts in the other post-Soviet states and regions? In order to answer this question, the contributors to this timely volume evaluate the factors that guarantee Russia's intervention in its ""near abroad."" They debate whether Russian ""peacekeeping"" is legitimate according to international norms or whether it may be a harbinger of ""neoimperialism."" Finally, they explore the origins and effectiveness of Russia's intervention in four cases of regional conflict and discuss the complexities of broader multilateral involvement."

This book explores Russia's role in world politics. In recent years, Moscow has played an increasingly active and assertive role in geopolitics. Examples include Russia’s takeover of Crimea and meddling in eastern Ukraine; Russia’s military intervention in Syria and support for the Assad government; the Kremlin’s alleged interference in the 2016 US presidential race; the pursuit of closer economic and diplomatic ties with China; and Russia’s ambitious military reforms and nuclear brinkmanship.Not surprisingly, Russia’s role in world politics has become the object of a spirited debate among Western policymakers, think-tank analysts, and academics. Much of this debate focuses on one central question: What are the main drivers, or causes, of Moscow’s recent assertiveness? The contributions gathered here address this question by focusing on the interplay of power, ideas, and domestic influences. Previously published in International Politics Volume 56, issue 6, December 2019

An NRC committee was established to work with a Russian counterpart group in conducting a workshop in Moscow on the effectiveness of Russian environmental NGOs in environmental decision-making and prepared proceedings of this workshop, highlighting the successes and difficulties faced by NGOs in Russia and the United States.

This enlightening book examines the use of online influence operations by foreign actors, and the extent to which these violate international law. It looks at key recent examples such as the 2016 UK EU Referendum, the 2016 American Presidential Election, and the 2017 French Presidential Election. The book analyses the core elements of interventions and sovereignty, and the extent to which these elements were violated in the three central case studies.

Despite the increased interest in Russia and its international behaviour, current analyses leave much unexplained. Damian Strycharz fills this gap in the literature by analysing leaders’ perceptions and the interactions between internal and external factors shaping foreign policy decisions. Challenging existing interpretations of Russian foreign policy and advancing our understanding on how role dynamics occur in non-democracies, Strycharz examines Russia’s reactions to the 2003–4 colour revolutions in Georgia and Ukraine, the Five-Day War in Georgia, and the Euromaidan Revolution. He argues that divergent reactions to these upheavals result from a profound change in the leadership perceptions of Russia’s international responsibilities. Consequently, a shift in the understanding of Russia’s international duties and departure from the Western partner role resulted in more assertive foreign policy behaviour exemplified by the intervention in Georgia and the annexation of Crimea. The book demonstrates that processes of foreign policy formation in Russia are more complex and include more actors than commonly assumed. Role Theory and Russian Foreign Policy is an ideal resource for scholars and researchers of international relations, foreign policy, and post-Soviet politics.

In the Russia-Ukraine war, attention has been focused on the "Special Military Operation" This book argues that there are many other special operations, in various other arenas in the world, that deserve equal and urgent attention. Connecting special military operations to what it calls special economic operations, special cultural operations, special technological operations, special sexual operations and special political operations, the book argues that special operations are not exclusive. AIso drawing on topical debates about technoscience, the book critically examines invasive technologies in relation to bodily autonomy, integrity and privacy, and it urges scholars and thinkers to compare these invasive technological operations to invasive special military operations. The book grapples with the future of humanity in a world where the human is decentred even as the world is witnessing the proliferation of resource wars. The book is relevant for scholars in anthropology, sociology, politics, government studies, international relations, history, media studies, science and technology studies and disaster management.