United States

Ukraine

Russia

Military & Security

Politics

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Russia accused Ukraine of attempting to attack a presidential residence near Valdai in the Novgorod region with long-range drones, an allegation Kyiv denied as fabricated, Reuters reported on Dec. 30.

Russia, Ukraine: Kremlin Signals Tougher Negotiating Posture After Alleged Drone Attack

Israel

Palestinian Territories

U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Dec. 29 to reverse Israel's West Bank policies amid U.S. concerns that settlement expansion and violent Israeli settlers could undermine the Gaza ceasefire and stall efforts to expand the Abraham Accords, Axios reported on Dec. 30.

U.S., Israel: U.S. Pressures Israel To Reverse West Bank Policies, Israel Curbs Humanitarian Work in Gaza

Iran

Iraq

Economics

Iraq's parliament convened for the first time since the Nov. 11 elections and elected the parliamentary speaker, Haibet Al-Halbousi, who is a member of the Takadum, or Progress, party, AP reported on Dec. 29.

Iraq: Parliament Elects Speaker in First Session After November Elections

U.S.-Iran Relations

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with U.S. President Donald Trump at the latter's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida and discussed the second phase of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire in Gaza, as well as regional security threats from Hamas and Iran, Al Jazeera reported on Dec. 29.

U.S., Israel: Netanyahu, Trump Meet in Florida, Discuss Regional Security Issues, Gaza Ceasefire

Venezuela

In response to a reporter's question, U.S. President Donald Trump said the United States "hit" a dock area in Venezuela allegedly used to load drugs onto boats to be trafficked out of the country, saying there was a "major explosion," Reuters reported on Dec. 29. 

U.S., Venezuela: Trump Says U.S. Destroyed Drug Trafficking Facility in Venezuela

China

Taiwan

U.S.-China Relations

China's Eastern Theater Command initiated large scale drills encircling Taiwan, including around areas closer to the main island than in previous exercises and deploying army, naval, air force and artillery units, Reuters reported Dec. 29.

China, Taiwan: Beijing Conducts Record Encirclement Drills Around Taiwan

Somalia

Egypt

Saudi Arabia

Turkey

Yemen

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced in a joint declaration with Somaliland's President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi that Israel recognized Somaliland's sovereignty as an independent state, the first country in the world to recognize the breakaway region, The Jerusalem Post reported on Dec. 26.

Israel, Somalia: Israel Recognizes Somaliland's Sovereignty

North Korea

South Korea

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un supervised a factory working on production of the country's first nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine, with photos showing the hull -- often one of the last stages of submarine construction -- fully intact, North Korean state media KCNA reported on Dec. 25.

North Korea: Kim Unveils Nuclear-Armed Submarine

Snapshots

A U.S. military MQ-9 Reaper drone sits on a tarmac at Rafael Hernandez Airport in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, on Dec. 27, 2025.

The Trump administration will likely soon launch more strikes inside Venezuela following the reported CIA drone attack on a suspected drug port, though a U.S. ground invasion remains unlikely for the foreseeable future.

Trump Escalates Pressure on Venezuela With First Land Strike

Media

Middle East and North Africa

Podcasts

Energy

How has U.S. interest in the Middle East evolved over time? 

Essential Geopolitics: A Historical Look Back on U.S.-Middle East Relations

Europe

Eurasia

U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelensky at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida, on Dec. 28, 2025.

While the U.S. and Ukrainian presidents have narrowed their differences on a 20-point peace framework, the Kremlin's insistence on full control of the Donbas complicates the prospects of a negotiated deal.

Ukraine Peace Deal Still Elusive Despite Trump-Zelensky Talks

Assessments

Central African Republic

Guinea

Myanmar

Bulgaria

Cyprus

Kosovo

The Bulgarian flag and the European flag waving in the wind.

A look at what the coming week will bring -- and a list of recommended RANE articles from the week that was.

The Weekly Rundown: Bulgaria Adopts the Euro, U.S.-Venezuela Tensions Persist

Cambodia

Thailand

A U.S. Marine Corps AV-8B Harrier II on Dec. 15 taxis at Jose Aponte de la Torre Airport in Ceiba, Puerto Rico.

The Weekly Rundown: French Budget Deadlock, U.S.-Russia Talks in Miami

United Arab Emirates

YemenYemenis rally to show their support for the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council on Dec. 14, 2025.

Israel-Hamas Conflict

Escalating tensions and potential violence between the Southern Transitional Council and Saudi-backed forces create security vacuums that Houthi rebels will likely exploit.



Yemen's Anti-Houthi Bloc Is Fracturing

Tracking U.S. Naval Power

This map shows the approximate locations of U.S. Carrier Strike Groups and Amphibious Ready Groups.

U.S. Naval Update Map: Dec. 18, 2025

A stock photo shows banknotes of the Russian ruble. 

The European Union using immobilized Russian assets to fund financial support for Ukraine will probably not have major reputational or financial consequences for the eurozone.


Using Frozen Russian Assets To Fund Ukraine Unlikely To Majorly Impact the Euro

Lebanon

Israeli air defence systems are activated to intercept Iranian missiles over the Israeli city of Tel Aviv amid a fresh barrage of Iranian rockets on June 16, 2025.

If effective, the laser air defense system will significantly reduce the cost of intercepting short-range aerial threats and bolster Israel's multilayered protection against aerial attacks.


The Role of Iron Beam in Israel's Evolving Defense Architecture

U.S. Naval Update Map: Dec. 11, 2025

Jordanian police close the entrance of a Muslim Brotherhood headquarters on April 23, 2025, in Amman, Jordan.

While the White House has initiated a review process to label the Muslim Brotherhood a Foreign Terrorist Organization, it is unlikely to result in a comprehensive ban on the group.

U.S. Unlikely To Broadly Designate Muslim Brotherhood as a Terrorist Organization

Philippines

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. delivers his third State of the Nation Address before lawmakers at the House of Representatives on July 22, 2024 in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines. 

A widespread corruption scandal is threatening to cause political instability in the Philippines, which could lead to policy paralysis and weaken the Philippines' posture against China.

A Corruption Scandal Threatens Political Crisis in the Philippines

The United States encompasses territory spanning from the Arctic Circle and Central Pacific to the Gulf of Mexico and the North Atlantic.    The Greater Mississippi Basin is the United States' core and serves as the underpinning of its role as a global superpower.    The basin hosts an extensive network of navigable rivers that overlay the world's largest contiguous piece of arable land. This naturally interconnected river system facilitated integration among settlers and allowed for cheap transport of goods, providing the United States with the ability to feed itself efficiently and rapidly build up industry and capital to expand west. The Midwestern core gave early America strategic depth, while an expanding U.S. coastline, naturally indented with deep harbors, provided its opening to the world.    After reaching the Pacific coast in the mid-19th century, the United States found itself insulated by two oceans. On the continent itself, geography again has worked in the country's favor: lakes to the north and deserts to the south insulate the United States' population centers, with both Canada and Mexico facing too many natural constraints of their own to seriously rival it.    This unparalleled level of wealth and protection gives the United States options that few to no countries can claim. For one, the United States has used its wealth and security to build up the world's largest navy. Control of the world's major sea-lanes gives the United States the power to facilitate or deny trade to allies or rivals of the day. The onus therefore is on the United States to carefully manage its engagements abroad and build up strategic allies to protect its overseas interests and preserve its strength at home. 

SITUATION REPORTS

Russia, Ukraine: Kremlin Signals Tougher Negotiating Posture After Alleged Drone Attack

U.S., Israel: U.S. Pressures Israel To Reverse West Bank Policies, Israel Curbs Humanitarian Work in Gaza

Iraq: Parliament Elects Speaker in First Session After November Elections

U.S., Israel: Netanyahu, Trump Meet in Florida, Discuss Regional Security Issues, Gaza Ceasefire

U.S., Venezuela: Trump Says U.S. Destroyed Drug Trafficking Facility in Venezuela

China, Taiwan: Beijing Conducts Record Encirclement Drills Around Taiwan

Israel, Somalia: Israel Recognizes Somaliland's Sovereignty

North Korea: Kim Unveils Nuclear-Armed Submarine

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