Grace Zagoria

A Piece of Moscow in Latvia: a Deeper Look at the Russian Embassy in Riga

By Grace Zagoria in Security

August 28, 2025

On the corner of Ukrainian Independence Street in Riga – Ukrainas Neatkarības iela in Latvian – sits a building bathed in fading pastels, adorned with barbed wire and barred windows. This is the Russian Embassy to Latvia, guarded around the clock by the Latvian State Police and cordoned off with black rope that passersby are careful not to cross. Sticking out from seemingly every corner of the building’s edifice are security cameras, trained on anyone who dares to glance in the embassy’s vicinity.


Report: The EU-Mercosur Agreement and its Implications for the Baltic Region

By Grace Zagoria, Matthew Clauser in Policy

August 27, 2025

Executive summary This report assesses the geopolitical and economic dimensions of the EU-Mercosur trade agreement, with a focus on its implications for EU competitiveness, supply chain security, and global influence. Over the past two decades, the EU has lost trade share in Latin America to China, whose growing presence in the region—particularly in agriculture, infrastructure, and critical minerals—has shifted the balance of power. Simultaneously, the United States has adopted a more protectionist stance, creating gaps in global trade leadership.