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The Russian Propaganda War in the Americas

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  As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues, another front in the war between Russia’s authoritarian allies versus the Western world has been going on for some time. The propaganda battle has been ongoing in Latin America for years. A trio of media networks controlled by Russia and Iran has built a popular following among Spanish speakers. These networks peddle a misinformation narrative that aims to delegitimize the West and portray Russia, Iran, and other authoritarian regimes as a counter-imperialist force that supports worldwide democracy. This narrative may seem laughable to many in the West, but about 500 million Spanish speakers within Latin America and the United States follow these authoritarian-backed news sources. According to foreign policy experts such as Clifford D. May , these propaganda news outlets include TelesSur, Russia Today, and HispanTV. This trio of news platforms began emerging back in 2005 and has gained a sizable following since. The misinformation narrative
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It would be incorrect to assume Russia shares an interest with the United States to ensure Iran does not obtain nuclear weapons. This assumption is fraught with errors. A nuclear capability for Iran will be an asset for Russia in their efforts to halt the United States from intervening in the Middle East as Russia and Iran work together to conquer and control more of the region. Russia has already conquered parts of Georgia, taken Crimea, and is now trying to conquer all of Ukraine. However, Russia’s foreign policy goals are not limited to the conquest of Ukraine and Europe. Over the past several years, Russia has been working together with Iran and the Syrian dictator Assad to dominate the Middle East . Russia has been responsible for the destruction of entire towns and the deaths of large civilian populations in Syria. Both Russia and Tehran share the goal of deterring the United States and the West from interfering with their continued Middle Eastern conquest. An Iranian regime wi
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China and Russia’s Summit for Autocracy

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The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and Russia have been competing with the United States for global influence. This competition has become more pronounced amid controversy surrounding China’s aggressive actions toward its neighboring island nation, Taiwan. Since the end of the cold war, China has increasingly become the leading global competitor to rival the influence of the United States.  At times, the authoritarian regimes of Russia and China have joined together in foreign policy efforts to diminish U.S. global influence and expand their own. Despite this competition playing out on the world stage, the CCP publicly rejects the claim that China is competing with the U.S. By denying any intention to compete, this rejection serves as an attempt by China to claim the moral high ground as the world watches through the media. Only a few months ago, the CCP ordered a record-breaking number of military aircraft to fly into Taiwan’s airspace. Leading researchers on foreign policy such as th
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The New Cold War: China and Russia’s Blame Game

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  The New Cold War: China and Russia’s Blame Game Since the end of the cold war, China and Russia have increasingly positioned themselves as the primary competitors with the United States for global influence in the modern world. Recently, tensions between the United States and China have escalated. This growing friction with China is centered around the subject of Taiwan, and this conflict serves as a means for China and Russia to align themselves in portraying themselves as global peacekeepers and the United States as an international bully. China still views Taiwan as an island under the sovereignty of China, or the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), despite Taiwan being a functioning independent nation. The United States is a significant supporter of Taiwan, providing large amounts of military aid and support to bolster Taiwan’s position as an independent nation. Washington has been providing billions of dollars in aid to the island nation in the form of arms and military training
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Russia and Ransomware Attacks

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Russia has recently launched a ransomware attack on a massive scale targeting an American information technology (IT) firm. The Russian hackers entered an IT company named Keseya based out of Miami, Florida. Following the attack on the company, the hackers breached Kaseya’s clients and associated managed service providers (MSPs). The MSPs employ software created by Kaseya, which automatically installs updates on client networks. This auto-updating mechanism enabled the hackers to install ransomware on thousands of the company’s clients. Utilizing this pre-made infrastructure, the Russians hacked over 1,500 other companies in 17 different countries. According to the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security, the government agencies were not able to respond to assist the victims due to the massive size of the attack. Responsibility was claimed by the cybercriminal group called REvil, who stated a demand for $70 million in exchange for a decryption key to end the ransomware attack. REvi
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Russia and China Outmaneuvering the West in Weaponizing Space

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China and Russia have been quickly building and deploying both ground and space-based weapons intended for destroying satellites. At the same time, China and Russia have been pressing the United States to agree to a treaty prohibiting anti-satellite weapons . The United States possesses a significant number of critical space-based military capabilities . When viewed from the outside, the treaty sounds ideal. Nobody desires a space-based arms race. These space-based capabilities include communications, missile defense, intelligence, and other satellites. If the U.S. is to be successful in stopping aggression of authoritarian regimes, Washington needs to prevent being drawn into international treaties that other competing powers have no intention of respecting or following. Beijing and Moscow have submitted The Treaty on the Prevention of the Placement of Weapons in Outer Space and of the Threat or Use of Force Against Outer Space Objects (PPWT) to the United Nations. The PPWT obligates
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Increasing Threat of Cyber Attacks from Russia and China

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The realm of cybersecurity has become critically important in recent years. The ability of both state and non-state actors to cripple or damage economic and civil infrastructure through cyberattacks constitutes a growing threat. Nations and other types of actors have been sharpening and honing their abilities to conduct these attacks on the United States and the international community. In 2016, cyber attacks and cybercrime alone created more than $100 billion in damages to the United States. China and Russia have emerged as leading players in the realm of cyber attacks , being responsible for significant damages and losses in the United States, as well as internationally. Experts in cybersecurity and asymmetric warfare have indicated this threat has grown increasingly potent and serious with each passing year. Cybersecurity researchers predict that cyberattacks will cost the United States more than $6 trillion in damages within only a few years. In addition to direct economic costs
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