Written by: Audrey McGrory The 1962 signing of the Helsinki Treaty may be considered a mere formality. For decades, the four Nordic countries—Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden—have been linked by their intertwined histories and shared values, allowing them to enjoy a close economic and diplomatic relationship well into the present. The similarities between the Nordic…
Tag: Audrey McGrory
Authoritarianism Finds a Friend in Germany
Written by: Audrey McGrory While Germany has positioned itself as the bulwark of European interests in intercontinental and foreign affairs, its murky dealings and relationships with authoritarian regimes have influenced important policy decisions, threatening the legitimacy of international institutions and democracy. Historically, Germany has been slow to condemn and challenge the authoritarian regimes of China…
How Russian Propaganda Informs Its Domestic and Foreign Policy
Written by: Audrey McGrory Like banyas, Matryoshka dolls, and dachas, propaganda has been prevalent in Russia for centuries, defining itself as not merely a well-used political tactic, but a cultural fixture as quintessential as other Russian practices and customs. The use of propaganda by the Russian government has been potent in Russian society—withstanding the political,…
Russia in Africa: A Mission to Replace the West
Written by: Audrey McGrory As negotiations between Russia and NATO have intensified following the heightened risk of Russian invasion into its neighbor and former Soviet republic, Ukraine, Russia’s advancements elsewhere—namely in Africa—are also worth monitoring. In another example of Russia testing the West in their diplomatic capabilities, the country’s movements in Africa are interesting, though…
Sanctions Could be the West’s Best Hope to Stop Russia
Written by: Audrey McGrory From the Polish government’s efforts to diminish the country’s freedom of the press to the Russian government’s blatant influence and obstruction in the nation’s parliamentary election, Western hopes of democracy in Eastern Europe seem increasingly dashed by such recent events, which have occurred in the region’s seemingly collective shift towards the…
A New Prime Minister, a New Czech-Chinese Relationship?
Written by: Audrey McGrory Few countries have been as successful in promoting authoritarian ideals abroad as Russia and China. The two nations have framed themselves as rising global superpowers, eager to spread their brand of capitalism, which lies in state control. Bashing western democracies and their capitalistic economic systems, Russia and China have sought to…
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