Sportswashing: A masterstroke of foreign influence operations (Video) | Responsible Statecraft

Follow us on social

google cta

Analysis | Washington Politics

google cta

google cta

Sportswashing is the next frontier of foreign influence in the United States. Authoritarian regimes are investing billions of dollars in the sports that Americans love — from the NBA to WWE, UFC, and, the PGA Tour.

In many cases these investments come with strings attached. Foreign powers aren’t just trying to make money, they’re hoping to launder their reputations and censor their would-be critics in the U.S. This can have potentially dire consequences for Washington foreign policy, given that many of these regimes seek to pull the agenda in a decidedly unrestrained direction via U.S. military entanglements.

(Video production by Khody Akhavi)

Analysis | Washington Politics

ideon Sa'ar

Top image credit: 02.07.2025, Tallinn. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar met his Estonian counterpart Margus Tsahkna (Eesti 200) in Tallinn. Photo: Martin Pedaja/Postimee via REUTERS CONNECT

Baltics' big bear hug of Israel is a strategic blunder

As the European Union struggles to agree on a coherent response to Israel’s war on Gaza, Estonia’s and Latvia’s foreign ministers recently warmly welcomed their Israeli counterpart, Gideon Sa’ar.

This diplomatic embrace, occurring as Israel stands accused before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and International Criminal Court (ICC) of crimes against humanity and plausible acts of genocide, reveals a profound and damaging hypocrisy. It is also a strategic blunder.

keep readingShow less

Gerald Ford strike carrier group

Top photo credit: Sailors assigned to the first-in-class aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) air department, line up spotting dollys on the flight deck, March 24, 2023. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jennifer A. Newsome)

The top US military contractors cashing in on Caribbean operations

Military Industrial Complex

As fears mount that U.S. strikes against so-called “narco-terrorists” in the Caribbean could escalate into full-scale war with Venezuela, weapons makers are well positioned to benefit from the unprecedented U.S. military build-up in the region, not seen on such a scale in decades, and continues unabated.

Currently, key naval vessels such as guided-missile destroyers equipped with the Aegis combat weapons command and control system — including the USS Gravely, USS Jason Dunham, and the USS Stockdale — the guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg, and the littoral combat ship USS Wichita, are deployed around the Caribbean. The USS Newport News (SSN-750), a nuclear-powered attack submarine which can launch Tomahawk missiles, is also present.

keep readingShow less

google cta

Want more of our stories on Google?
Click here to make us a Preferred Source.

LATEST

QIOSK