In this episode of Active Measures, we focus on Lithuania—a frontline nation in the global struggle against authoritarian threats. As a refuge for exiled Belarusian and Russian activists, Lithuania has emerged as a beacon of democratic resilience, courageously confronting Vladimir Putin’s aggressive campaign against freedom and democracy.

Marcus Kolga travels to Vilnius for an exclusive conversation with Mantas Adomenas, former Lithuanian Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs and current Secretary General of the Community of Democracies. A tireless advocate for democracy, Mantas has played a pivotal role in shaping Lithuania’s bold foreign policy, actively countering authoritarian influence from Russia and China, fiercely defending Ukraine, and championing democracy globally.

His vocal support for Taiwan and unyielding criticism of authoritarian regimes has made him a direct target—resulting in a Kremlin ban in 2024. Today, as the leader of the Community of Democracies, Mantas Adomenas continues to unite nations committed to strengthening democratic institutions and confronting autocratic threats.

Join us as we explore Lithuania’s inspiring fight for democracy and discuss strategies to protect freedom in an increasingly hostile world.

In this episode, we’ll explore how one of the world’s most vulnerable nations—Taiwan, which faces a daily barrage of Chinese state information and influence operations—has successfully built resilience against PRC information warfare . We’ll delve into Taiwan’s comprehensive, whole-of-society approach to countering these threats.

Joining me today is Ben Graham Jones, a specialist in emerging threats to election integrity. Ben advises leading organizations in the elections field and contributed to the report we’ll be discussing through his work with Doublethink Lab in Taipei. Over his career, he has led three election missions, participated in numerous election observation, assistance, and advisory missions, and designed cutting-edge tools for analyzing online information and election technologies.

Ben’s extensive experience includes working with organizations like the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the Carter Center, and the European Union. He has also served as a policy adviser on Prime Ministerial initiatives in the United Kingdom. Ben’s a graduate of the University of Cambridge and King’s College London’s Department of War Studies, Ben is also a Fellow at the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust.

In his report, Taiwan POWER, which examines the 2024 presidential and legislative elections in Taiwan, Ben presents Taiwan as a model for building resilience against foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI).

In this episode, your host, Marcus Kolga, travels to Tallinn Estonia where he meets with leading global expert on Russian influence and information operations, Molly McKew, to talk about the role of domestic US and Canadian influencers in those operations, their impact on our society, and about those nations that have successfully challenged them, like Estonia.