East European Institute for Strategic Studies
EEISI
Eastern European research for the US government and non-profit strategic research institutions
We conduct research in Eastern Europe Our research can be used by U.S. government and private companies to more effectively understand global developments in Eastern Europe.
Eastern European Institute for Strategic Studies conducts applied and forward-looking research on security, political, economic, energy, and technological dynamics shaping Eastern Europe and their implications for U.S. and allied interests.
The Institute focuses on producing policy-relevant analysis that enhances strategic awareness, supports early warning, and informs decision-making across government and the private sector. Our work integrates regional expertise with comparative and cross-domain analysis to assess both immediate risks and long-term structural trends.
Key areas of research include great-power competition and regional security; political stability and governance resilience; Russian strategic behavior and influence operations; energy security and natural resource dependencies; economic statecraft and sanctions effectiveness; cyber and information warfare; conflict trajectories and post-conflict reconstruction; and strategic forecasting of emerging threats.
Through rigorous analysis and sustained engagement with regional developments, the Institute provides actionable insights designed to support U.S. national security planning, allied coordination, and private-sector risk assessment in a rapidly evolving geopolitical environment.
PRIORITY AREAS OF RESEARCH
1 Critical Minerals and the Resources of the Future
Assessment of Eastern Europe’s role in the extraction, processing, and transit of critical minerals essential to defense, advanced manufacturing, and energy transition. Focus on supply-chain vulnerabilities, governance risks, foreign control, and implications for U.S. and allied strategic autonomy.
2. Agricultural and Food Security in the Context of Global Conflicts
Analysis of agricultural capacity, food supply chains, and export infrastructure in Eastern Europe amid war and geopolitical disruption, including risks to global food security, the use of food and fertilizer as tools of coercion, and long-term sustainability under climate and security stress.
3. Combating Corruption as Strategic Risk Analysis
Evaluation of corruption as a cross-cutting risk to political stability, economic development, foreign investment, and security cooperation, including evolving corruption patterns under conflict conditions, risks to reconstruction and defense procurement, and the effectiveness of anti-corruption institutions and reforms.
4. Energy Security, Economic Statecraft, and Sanctions
Examination of energy dependencies, critical infrastructure vulnerabilities, and strategic natural resources, alongside analysis of sanctions effectiveness, evasion mechanisms, illicit finance, and long-term economic resilience under geopolitical pressure.
5. Cyber and Information Threats
Assessment of state-sponsored cyber operations and information warfare targeting government institutions, critical infrastructure, and civil society, including the use of emerging technologies to amplify disinformation and influence campaigns.
.6. Conflict Trajectories, Reconstruction, and Strategic Forecasting
Analysis of ongoing and potential conflict trajectories, prospects for war termination, post-conflict reconstruction challenges, and development of early-warning indicators for political instability, escalation risks, and regional power shifts.
The influence of strategic studies on long-term forecasting and economic development
Most of our reports are not publicly available. However, you can find some reports and publications on the websites of our media partners, which focus on the new security architecture and the balance of global power in a rapidly changing environment
Media partners
Capitol Hill Post
Forbes
Politico
Reuters
Agence France-Presse
UNIAN
DEPARTMENTS
- Global Threat Forecasting Department
- Focus: hybrid warfare, disinformation, cyberattacks, nuclear risks, climate-induced instability,
pandemics, and energy security. - Patronage models: RAND (scenario planning), CSIS (geopolitical risk), Atlantic Council (NATO).
- Deliverables: Quarterly Global Threat Report, real-time alerts for policymakers, modeling, and military
exercises. - Economic Analysis Department
- Focus: post-war reconstruction of Ukraine, sanctions, energy trade, regional growth, and the socio-
economic consequences of war. - Patronage models: Peterson Institute (trade policy), NBER (data-driven economic analysis), Urban
Institute (socio-economic policy). - Outputs: Eastern European Monthly Economic Outlook, Investment Outlook, Sanctions Assessment
Research. Confidential Allied and Partner Risk Assessments
Political-Military Forecasting Division - Focus: Progress of the war in Ukraine, NATO readiness, Russian domestic politics, hybrid operations,
and democratic resilience in Eastern Europe. - Patronage Models: Brookings (foreign policy), CFR (elite policy dialogue), Carnegie (conflict resolution),
AEI/Hudson (strategic balance). - Outputs: Political-Military Forecasting Dossier, Confidential Risk Assessments, NATO and EU Briefings.
“Global forecasting is the key to the future success of entire nations”
CEO, EEISI
Michael Watts