Pax Americana: Episode 10 Recap

Thank you 💛 to everyone who tuned in to our latest episode of Pax Americana!

Julie Roginsky and I explored some of the most significant Russia-related developments of the week and their implications for the U.S. and Europe.

Also, thank you to everyone who joined Julie and me for yesterday’s AMA on Zoom—it was such a great conversation, and we really enjoyed connecting with everyone. We’ll be hosting these virtual town halls for our paid subscribers a few times each month, with the next one coming up in mid-June. Stay tuned for the exact date and time…

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Show Notes from today’s episode

• Russia, Stalin, and their new claims that the dissolution of USSR was “illegal” —Russia is resurrecting Stalin statues and glorifying his legacy, in its campaign to whitewash Soviet crimes. And, the Kremlin now pushes the narrative that the USSR was illegally dissolved—part of a broader effort to rewrite history, legitimize imperial ambitions, and erase the truth of past atrocities. Source: @BBCSteveR on X

• Elon Musk, unauthorized Doge, and our data —

Your Personal Data Has Been Stolen

Also, an article I wrote…

The Authoritarian Playbook: DOGE, Surveillance, and the Collapse of Democracy

• Ukraine, Trump theatre, and the failure of media —

Also, check out Julie’s article …

The Walls Are Closing In On Corporate Media

• Noem blasts 'weak' European leaders, stumps for conservative candidate in Poland —

  Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stunned diplomats by endorsing far-right Polish candidate Karol Nawrocki at CPAC Warsaw, slamming his opponent as “a train wreck” and attacking Biden over immigration and terrorism. Source: ABC News

• Germany Deploys First Permanent Brigade Abroad Since WWII to Bolster NATO Defense

  What Happened: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz inaugurated a permanent German army brigade in Lithuania—marking Germany’s first long-term foreign troop deployment since World War II. The 5,000-strong unit, to be fully operational by 2027, will help guard NATO’s eastern flank amid escalating Russian threats.

  Source: CNN

• Young U.S. Men Join Russian Orthodox Churches for ‘Absurd Manliness’

  A growing number of young American men are converting to Russian Orthodoxy through the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, drawn by its rigid gender roles, anti-modern ethos, and glorification of “traditional masculinity.” Priests like Father Moses McPherson in Texas preach virility, large families, and rejection of liberal norms. ROCOR, with historical ties to the Moscow Patriarchate, has seen a surge in U.S. popularity alongside Trump’s growing alignment with Russia.

  Source: BBC News. Some background on the Russian Orthodox Church from an article I wrote for CEPA

• Judge Orders Release of Russian Harvard Scientist —

  A federal judge ruled that ICE must release Kseniia Petrova, a Russian scientist at Harvard, detained since February for failing to declare frog embryo samples at U.S. customs. The DOJ then filed felony charges to keep her in custody. Source: New York Times

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  Each week on Pax Americana, we expose Russia’s playbook and its dangerous intersections with U.S. politics. We’ll break down:

  • Updates on Russia’s genocidal war in Ukraine

  • Russia’s latest news and moves

  • The latest on Moscow’s hybrid warfare tactics in the U.S. and Europe

  • Sanctions, corruption, and Kremlin networks

  • Disinformation and malign influence operations

  • Tactics that Trump is using in the U.S. mirroring Russia’s system—politicizing law enforcement; attacking the press, universities, protesters, and opposition— and turning institutions into tools to consolidate power.

Don’t forget to subscribe to Julie’s Substack for amazing insights!

Tune in each week as we go beyond the headlines, delivering the unsanitized truth and exposing Russia’s playbook in real-time. From Ukraine to Washington, we’ll break down how Russia’s tactics—oligarchy, disinformation, propaganda, political repression, and institutional capture—are being mirrored in the U.S. and what it means for the future of America.

📅 Join us every Thursday at 11 AM ET on Substack Live!

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Catch up on the last episode…