Delphi Global Research Center

06/09/2026

Why does the Russian military keep destroying cities - even when it backfires?

A new Delphi analysis argues it isn’t only strategy. It’s structure.

An artillery-first doctrine built for the North German Plain, a command culture that suppresses initiative, and an institution with no internal mechanism that registers civilian harm as a cost.

"The army did not decide, in each case, to flatten cities; it reached for the tool it trusted, and the tool was indiscriminate by design."

The implication for Western planners: these patterns aren’t intentions that shift with the next war. They’re a fixed repertoire. Plan for them.

📄 Read the recent report by Klara Vlahčević Lisinski: https://www.delphigrc.org/research/the-weight-of-inheritance-post-soviet-institutional-and-operational-legacies-in-russian-warfighting

06/04/2026

As Russia intensifies its attacks across Ukraine, understanding the military and strategic implications of the war remains critical.

Delphi Global Research Center President Robert (Bob) Hamilton joined PBS NewsHour to discuss the latest developments on the battlefield, Ukraine’s efforts to regain momentum, and the broader trajectory of the conflict.

Watch the interview to hear Bob’s analysis of one of the most consequential security challenges facing Europe and the international order.

Full interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQqEzSw_qiw

📅 Upcoming events: https://www.delphigrc.org/events
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Massive Russian attacks across Ukraine overnight killed at least 22...

06/03/2026

📢 Registration is now open!

Join us for the launch of Delphi's latest report, "Geo-Economics of Russia and China in Africa," examining how Beijing and Moscow are reshaping Africa's political and economic landscape through very different approaches.

Speakers:
• Maximilian Hess
• Daniel Vinton

Moderator:
• Bob Hamilton

📅 Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_WZRgRpCyTXynQ40cpT9GWQ

🔎 Learn more about the event: https://www.delphigrc.org/events/report-launch-and-discussion-geo-economics-of-russia-and-china-in-africa

06/02/2026

Russia’s Victory Day parade is typically designed to project strength, confidence, and military power. This year, however, the event revealed a very different picture.

In the latest edition of GLAVNOE, Andras Toth-Czifra examines a month marked by:

▪️ A subdued Victory Day parade held under heightened security measures and widespread internet shutdowns
▪️ Escalating Ukrainian drone strikes targeting critical energy and industrial infrastructure deep inside Russia
▪️ Mounting economic pressures, including growing budget deficits and declining oil revenues
▪️ Increasing tensions within Russia’s political elite, highlighted by the dismissal of regional governors and ongoing asset seizures
▪️ Signs of deteriorating public sentiment as the costs of the war continue to rise

The analysis argues that the Kremlin's expectation of a rapid strategic breakthrough is fading, while economic, security, and political challenges are becoming more difficult to conceal.

Read the full article here:
https://www.delphigrc.org/research/glavnoe-the-past-month-in-russia-may-2026

📅 Upcoming events: https://www.delphigrc.org/events

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Your monthly overview of major recent developments in Russian politics, economy, and society. May 2026 Issue.

05/29/2026

What ultimately decides the fate of a trade corridor: engineering or geopolitics?

In "The US-Iran War and the Future of TRIPP in the South Caucasus," Miro Popkhadze makes the case that the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), a 30-mile corridor through Armenia linking Central Asia to Europe, is one of Washington's boldest geopolitical bets, designed to loosen Russia's grip on regional transit and pull the South Caucasus westward.

But Tehran sees the route as encirclement. And the US-Iran war has shown how cheaply Iran can paralyze critical infrastructure, from drone saturation to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
The argument is sharp: TRIPP makes sense on paper, but its future is inseparable from Iran's. Corridors aren't built on geography alone — they're built on confidence.

Read the full analysis: https://www.delphigrc.org/research/the-us-iran-war-and-the-future-of-tripp-in-the-south-caucasus
Upcoming events: https://www.delphigrc.org/events
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Any long-term U.S. strategy toward Tehran must recognize that the stakes extend well beyond the Arab world or the Persian Gulf. They also encompass the geopolitical future of the South Caucasus and th

05/27/2026

Russia's Victory Day parade was always meant to project strength. This year, it projected something else entirely.

Tight security. Fewer weapons on display. Visible nervousness. And a war that has now lasted longer than the one it claims to commemorate — with no comparable outcome.

Ambassador Eitvydas Bajarūnas breaks down what the May 9 celebrations really reveal: not historical remembrance, but a regime increasingly dependent on past victories because it can no longer offer a vision of the future.

"The less the regime can offer a vision of the future, the more heavily it relies on victory in the past."

That reliance, he argues, is also where its deepest weakness lies.

📖 Read the full analysis: https://www.delphigrc.org/research/the-parade-in-moscow-to-be-or-not-to-be

📅 Upcoming events: https://www.delphigrc.org/events

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A sharp analysis of how Russia’s Victory Day parade has evolved from a symbol of historical remembrance into a tool of ideological control and geopolitical messaging under Vladimir Putin. Ambassador E

05/26/2026

Are we prepared for the global economic shift projected for 2075?
🌍 Serghei Ostaf’s analysis outlines global macro trends for the next fifty years, indicating that the future will not be dominated by a single Western power or a US-China duopoly.
Instead, the world is entering a multipolar era, with Moscow’s influence diminishing.
💡By 2075, the global balance of power will be significantly altered:
India, China, and the United States are each projected to reach economies of $50 to $60 trillion.
Africa’s population is expected to double to 2.6 billion, and its economy to reach $13.4 trillion.
Indonesia and Turkey will emerge as significant middle powers, with Turkey serving as a key connection between Europe and Asia.
Russia is projected to decline, with a shrinking population, limited technological leadership, and major trade routes bypassing the country.
Russia’s energy transit is projected to drop by 90%, while new corridors linking China and Europe will bypass it entirely.

📖 Read the full analysis: https://www.delphigrc.org/research/crimea-and-the-dniester-region-the-reconfigured-world-2025-2075
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05/25/2026

Applications Are Now Open

Delphi Global Research Center, in partnership with the Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (IERES) at George Washington University, is pleased to announce that applications are now open for the International Crisis Management Certificate Course.

This free online certificate course is designed for students and auditors seeking to develop a rigorous understanding of international conflict, crisis response, and diplomatic practice. Through simulations drawn from real-world scenarios, participants will engage with the theory and practice of grand strategy, public diplomacy, disinformation, and international legal advocacy.

Course Details
📅 September 10 – December 14, 2026
🕙 Mondays and Thursdays | 10:00 AM Washington DC time
💻 Online via Zoom | Free of charge
🎓 Certificate of completion available

The course is open to Ukrainian university students, international students, and auditors worldwide. Certificate candidates are required to demonstrate B1/B2 English proficiency or higher.

Application Deadline: July 15, 2026 | 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time

To apply and learn more, visit:
www.delphigrc.org/crisis-management

05/22/2026

🌎 New analysis - China & Russia: Tech Partnerships and Geopolitical Leverage in Latin America

The region that handles ~8% of China’s exports, supplies 98% of China’s lithium carbonate, and is home to Huawei’s dominant 40% share of the telecom market isn’t Southeast Asia; it’s Latin America.

In a new piece by Klara V. Lisinski, we examine how two decades of Chinese infrastructure investment and Russian information operations have reshaped the region’s digital and geopolitical landscape, and what the tectonic shifts of early 2026 mean for sovereignty and security going forward.

Key questions explored: → Who really controls Latin America’s digital chokepoints? → What does Maduro’s fall mean for China’s $10–20B Venezuelan exposure? → Why the Panama Canal became the flashpoint for US-China rivalry → How the tariff war is squeezing LatAm from both sides simultaneously

The uncomfortable reality: the US is offering tariffs and militarization. China is offering trade and investment. Coercive diplomacy alone won’t reverse structural dependency.

Read the full analysis: https://www.delphigrc.org/research/china-and-russia-tech-partnerships-and-geopolitical-leverage-in-latin-america
Upcoming events: https://www.delphigrc.org/events
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