An EU-China bridge is designed to crumble In the NewsApril 20, 2026 An EU-China bridge is designed to crumble In an op-ed published by Euractiv, Robert Benson explains why Europe should not let its prosperity be contingent on Beijing’s tolerance. Apr 20, 2026 Euractiv Robert Benson
Exporting MAGA Ideology: Why Orbán’s Loss Doesn’t End the Threat Posed by the Extreme Right ArticleApril 14, 2026 Exporting MAGA Ideology: Why Orbán’s Loss Doesn’t End the Threat Posed by the Extreme Right Viktor Orbán’s defeat in Hungary dealt a real blow to MAGA’s international project, but it will not stop the Trump administration from using American power to promote far-right allies abroad. Apr 14, 2026 Damian Murphy, Robert Benson
Orbán’s Defeat in the Hungarian Election Signals a Blow to the Global Authoritarian Movement ArticleApril 14, 2026 Orbán’s Defeat in the Hungarian Election Signals a Blow to the Global Authoritarian Movement Viktor Orbán’s defeat in Hungary signals a repudiation of corrupt governance and a blow for the global authoritarian movement—including Trump. Apr 14, 2026 Robert Benson, Gréta Bedekovics
Defeating Iranian drones means listening to Ukraine In the NewsMarch 12, 2026 Defeating Iranian drones means listening to Ukraine Luke Zahner and Robert Benson write in Stars and Stripes about how Iranian-designed drones are changing modern warfare and what Ukraine has learned about combating them. Mar 12, 2026 Stars and Stripes Luke Zahner, Robert Benson
Iran Spotlights How Trump Is Fracturing the Transatlantic Alliance ArticleMarch 12, 2026 Iran Spotlights How Trump Is Fracturing the Transatlantic Alliance President Trump’s war with Iran is exposing how Europe has grown too divided and too dependent to resist an increasingly coercive transatlantic alliance. Mar 12, 2026 Robert Benson
Trump’s Greenland Threats Reveal the Costs of Overt Aggression ArticleJanuary 22, 2026 Trump’s Greenland Threats Reveal the Costs of Overt Aggression By normalizing coercion over cooperation, the United States forfeits trust, fractures alliances, and invites a more dangerous world. Jan 22, 2026 Damian Murphy, Robert Benson
Illiberal International: The Transatlantic Right’s Challenge to Democracy In the NewsJanuary 20, 2026 Illiberal International: The Transatlantic Right’s Challenge to Democracy In a chapter published in the European Center for Populism Studies’ report “Populism and the Future of Transatlantic Relations: Challenges and Policy Options,” Robert Benson investigates the transatlantic dimensions of far-right political mobilization, tracing the networks linking populist and authoritarian actors across Europe and the United States. Jan 20, 2026 European Center for Populism Studies Robert Benson
Trump’s 28-Point Peace Plan Will Invite the Next War ArticleNovember 21, 2025 Trump’s 28-Point Peace Plan Will Invite the Next War The Trump administration’s leaked “peace plan” hands Moscow strategic victories, forces Ukraine to swallow unilateral concessions, and sets the stage for a deadlier future war. Nov 21, 2025 Robert Benson, Damian Murphy
What will the situation in Russia and Ukraine look like five years from now? In the NewsNovember 21, 2025 What will the situation in Russia and Ukraine look like five years from now? Robert Benson joined a symposium for NOTUS, in which he describes how the Russia-Ukraine conflict may look five years from now. Nov 21, 2025 NOTUS Robert Benson
Trump’s Sanctions on Russia Are Serious—Enforcement Will Decide Whether They Work ArticleNovember 18, 2025 Trump’s Sanctions on Russia Are Serious—Enforcement Will Decide Whether They Work President Trump’s new sanctions finally target the heart of Russia’s war machine, but only aggressive, disciplined enforcement will decide whether they actually bite. Nov 18, 2025 Robert Benson
Beyond participation trophies: The EU’s credibility crisis in the Western Balkans In the NewsOctober 6, 2025 Beyond participation trophies: The EU’s credibility crisis in the Western Balkans In an op-ed published by Euractiv, Robert Benson argues that the EU cannot credibly preach democracy abroad while tolerating stagnation in its own neighborhood. Oct 6, 2025 Euractiv Robert Benson
A Green Light for Authoritarianism: How the Trump Administration Fuels Global Autocracy ArticleSeptember 19, 2025 A Green Light for Authoritarianism: How the Trump Administration Fuels Global Autocracy When U.S. support retreats, autocrats escalate their attacks, leaving democratic institutions vulnerable. This creates a global environment where authoritarianism can thrive. Sep 19, 2025 Dan Herman, Robert Benson
The Turnberry trap: Trump, Europe and global reordering In the NewsSeptember 3, 2025 The Turnberry trap: Trump, Europe and global reordering In an op-ed published by Politico Europe, Robert Benson argues that President Trump's recent trade deal with the European Union represents an alarming global reordering—one that empowers bullying, sows division, and destabilizes international norms. Sep 3, 2025 Politico Europe Robert Benson
The Trump-Putin Alaska Meeting: Preventing a Surrender Summit ArticleAugust 12, 2025 The Trump-Putin Alaska Meeting: Preventing a Surrender Summit Trump’s planned Alaska meeting with Putin risks becoming a “surrender summit” that pressures Ukraine into abandoning NATO aspirations and accepting imposed neutrality, rewarding Russian aggression. Aug 12, 2025 Robert Benson, Damian Murphy
The Authoritarian Playbook in Action: What Global Cases Tell Us About Trump’s 2025 Military Deployments ArticleAugust 12, 2025 The Authoritarian Playbook in Action: What Global Cases Tell Us About Trump’s 2025 Military Deployments The cases of Canada, South Korea, and Turkey illustrate a dangerous escalatory pattern: When elected leaders rely on the military to resolve domestic challenges, they often accelerate democratic backsliding. Aug 12, 2025 Dan Herman, Robert Benson, Vishal Gogusetti
America’s Window To Stop Russia Is Closing ArticleJuly 31, 2025 America’s Window To Stop Russia Is Closing Trump’s hasty ultimatum and symbolic tariffs will not deter Putin; only rapid weapons deliveries and enforceable energy sanctions can shift the battlefield and force Moscow to meaningfully negotiate, creating the conditions for a Ukraine ceasefire. Jul 31, 2025 Robert Benson
NATO’s 76th Summit Is a Reckoning—Not a Celebration ArticleJune 18, 2025 NATO’s 76th Summit Is a Reckoning—Not a Celebration President Donald Trump’s second term has begun, and the NATO alliance faces its most existential threat yet. Jun 18, 2025 Robert Benson
As Trump Abandons Global Leadership, G7 Must Still Address World’s Pressing Challenges ArticleJune 11, 2025 As Trump Abandons Global Leadership, G7 Must Still Address World’s Pressing Challenges Strong, clear cooperation among the world’s other leading democracies can help maintain momentum on global priorities such as confronting Russian aggression, climate change, trade, and humanitarian assistance. Jun 11, 2025 Allison McManus, Robert Benson, Ryan Mulholland, 1 More Courtney Federico
Democratic backsliding in Europe holds lessons for America In the NewsApril 24, 2025 Democratic backsliding in Europe holds lessons for America In an op-ed for Politico EU, Robert Benson discusses how America can more effectively push back against authoritarian creep by learning from the experiences of European countries. Apr 24, 2025 Politico EU Robert Benson
100 Days of the Trump Administration’s Foreign Policy: Global Chaos, American Weakness, and Human Suffering ReportApril 24, 2025 100 Days of the Trump Administration’s Foreign Policy: Global Chaos, American Weakness, and Human Suffering In only 100 days, the Trump administration has wrought chaos around the world and weakened the United States’ place in it—leaving the American people and billions of others worldwide to pay the price. Apr 24, 2025 Allison McManus, Ryan Mulholland, Andrew Miller, 3 More Dan Herman, Robert Benson, Courtney Federico
Trade, Trust, and Transition: Shaping the Next Transatlantic Chapter ReportApril 22, 2025 Trade, Trust, and Transition: Shaping the Next Transatlantic Chapter The Center for American Progress and the Foundation for European Progressive Studies offer essays on the most pressing transatlantic issues. Apr 22, 2025 Allison McManus, Robert Benson
How State Capture and Corruption Harms Citizens: Lessons From Abroad ArticleApril 15, 2025 How State Capture and Corruption Harms Citizens: Lessons From Abroad Examples from abroad serve as prescient warnings that corruption and state capture erode services, impoverish societies, and compromise public safety. Apr 15, 2025 Robert Benson
How Democracies Defend Themselves Against Authoritarianism ReportApril 9, 2025 How Democracies Defend Themselves Against Authoritarianism Democracies facing authoritarian threats from within have found ways to push back by strengthening institutions, reinforcing democratic norms, and building popular resistance against encroaching autocracy. Understanding these strategies is vital to learning how to fight back. Apr 9, 2025 Robert Benson
The Destroyers Are Here: The Rise of the New Authoritarians In the NewsMarch 19, 2025 The Destroyers Are Here: The Rise of the New Authoritarians Robert Benson writes in Inkstick about how President Trump is setting the international stage for a new age of authoritarianism. Mar 19, 2025 Inkstick Robert Benson