United States

China

Economics

Environment, Science & Technology

U.S.-China Relations

Science & Technology

Nvidia ordered several suppliers and contractors for its H20 AI chip, including Amkor, Foxconn and Samsung, to suspend production, The Information reported on Aug. 21. 

U.S., China: Nvidia Tells Suppliers and Contractors To Halt Production of H20 AI Chip

Canada

Politics

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced that the country would drop its retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods that comply with the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) rules of origin requirements, CTV News reported on Aug. 22, a day after Carney spoke with U.S. President Donald Trump. 

Canada, U.S.: Canada Scraps Retaliatory Tariffs on USMCA-Compliant Goods

Israel

Lebanon

Military & Security

The U.S. Trump administration has reportedly urged Israel to scale back "non-urgent" military operations in Lebanon to support the Lebanese government's move to begin disarming the political and militant group Hezbollah, Axios reported on Aug. 21.

Lebanon: U.S Asks Israel To Scale Down Attacks, Lebanon Starts Disarming Palestinian Camps

Cyber

Microsoft began restricting Chinese companies' access to early notifications about cybersecurity vulnerabilities in response to the U.S. government's mandated vulnerability reporting requirement, Bloomberg reported on Aug. 20. 

U.S., China: Microsoft Curtails Chinese Companies' Access To Advance Vulnerability Notifications

Taiwan

Taiwan's Cabinet revealed its proposal for the 2026 defense budget of 949.5 billion New Taiwan dollars ($31.1 billion), equivalent to 3.32% of gross domestic product and representing a 23% increase from 2025, Focus Taiwan reported on Aug. 21.

Taiwan, U.S.: Lai Proposes Defense Spending Surge Amid U.S. Pressure

Mexico

The U.S. Trump administration reportedly issued a top secret planning order to Northern Command in late spring to prepare to conduct lethal strikes against cartels in Mexico, with the attack plans to be ready by mid-September, according to multiple military sources, independent journalist Ken Klippenstein reported on Aug. 20.

U.S., Mexico: Trump Administration Reportedly Directed Military To Prep Lethal Strikes Against Cartels

Europe

Under the final U.S.-EU framework trade agreement, the United States will lower its 27.5% tariffs on European automobiles to 15% once the European Union introduces legislation to lower industrial tariffs and provide preferential market access for some U.S. agricultural goods, according to a joint statement on the matter released on Aug. 21. 

U.S., EU: Joint Statement on Trade Deal Framework Details Auto, Pharmaceutical, Chip Tariffs

Russia

India

Energy

India's state-run refiners, Indian Oil and Bharat Petroleum, have resumed purchases of Russian crude for September and October delivery after discounts on Urals widened to around $3 per barrel, up from the narrower $1.70-$2 discounts seen in August, Reuters reported on Aug. 20.

India, Russia: Indian State Refineries Continue Russian Crude Purchases Despite U.S. Warnings

Assessments

Iran

South Korea

Thailand

Germany

France

United Kingdom

The Maanshan nuclear power plant is seen next to a beach in Pingtung, in southern Taiwan, on April 29, 2025.

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

The Weekly Rundown: Iran Meets With European Powers, Taiwan Holds a Nuclear Referendum

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: Aug. 21, 2025

Eurasia

Ukraine

Trump and Zelensky at the White House West Wing in Washington, DC, on August 18, 2025.

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Even as President Trump floats the possibility of a trilateral summit with Putin and Zelensky, a breakthrough in negotiations is unlikely given the Kremlin's noncommittal response to the Aug. 18 White House talks. 

Despite Flurry of U.S. Diplomacy, a Ukraine Peace Deal Will Remain Elusive

Argentina

Bolivia

Brazil

Paraguay

Uruguay

Venezuela

United Arab Emirates

Indonesia

Japan

Singapore

Vietnam

The Geopolitics of Trade

Global Trade

Mercosur is increasingly opening its markets in pursuit of free trade agreements with partners around the world, particularly as U.S. protectionism shifts global trade dynamics.

The Geopolitics of Trade: What Changing Trade Dynamics Mean for Mercosur

U.S. Naval Update Map: Aug. 14, 2025

Armenia

Azerbaijan

U.S. President Donald Trump (center), Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev (left) and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan (right) hold up an agreement signed during a ceremony at the White House on Aug. 8, 2025.

The deal sidelines Russia and Iran while establishing a U.S. commercial presence in the South Caucasus, but it will remain fragile due to unresolved security guarantees and implementation challenges.

What To Make of the U.S.-Brokered Peace Deal Between Armenia and Azerbaijan

Snapshots

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during the "Winning the AI Race" summit hosted by All‑In Podcast and Hill & Valley Forum at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium on July 23, 2025, in Washington, D.C. 

Relaxed U.S. export controls on key semiconductors will enable Chinese companies to accelerate their advancement of AI-focused chips.

How U.S. Export Concessions Could Boost China's AI Ambitions

Media

Podcasts

How will these recent developments influence the 2026 general election?

Essential Geopolitics: Brazil's Evolving Political Climate Amid Bolsonaro's House Arrest and Trump's Tariffs

Columns

On Geopolitics

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters near Air Force One at the airport in Allentown, Pennsylvania, on Aug. 3, 2025. Trump answered questions about his upcoming meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, among other topics. 

While the Trump administration's outreach to Russia may yield limited cooperation, a comprehensive ''reset'' is unlikely for the foreseeable future due to Moscow and Washington's diverging strategic interests.

Can Trump Reset U.S.-Russia Relations?

Syria

Israeli military vehicles drive along the border fence into Israel, near the town of Majdal Shams, in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights, on July 17, 2025.

While the two countries may engage in limited security cooperation, Israel's continued military interventions in Syria and the lack of U.S. economic pressure on Damascus will make full normalization nearly impossible.

Despite Recent Talks, Syria-Israel Normalization Remains Highly Unlikely

U.S. President Donald Trump (left) and Russian President Vladimir Putin pose ahead of a meeting in Helsinki, Finland, on July 16, 2018. 

As Putin and Trump prepare to meet in Alaska, the main risk for Ukraine is a U.S.-Russia deal that cements major territorial losses while offering weak security guarantees, leaving it vulnerable to future Russian aggression.

Putin-Trump Summit: The Risks for Ukraine

Palestinian Territories

U.S. President Donald Trump (R) looks at Russia's President Vladimir Putin on Nov. 30, 2018, during the G20 Leaders' Summit in Buenos Aires, Argentina. U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are expected to meet in the coming days.

Israel-Hamas Conflict

The Weekly Rundown: A Trump-Putin Summit, the Deadline for a U.S.-China Tariff Pause

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

U.S., China: Nvidia Tells Suppliers and Contractors To Halt Production of H20 AI Chip

Canada, U.S.: Canada Scraps Retaliatory Tariffs on USMCA-Compliant Goods

Lebanon: U.S Asks Israel To Scale Down Attacks, Lebanon Starts Disarming Palestinian Camps

U.S., China: Microsoft Curtails Chinese Companies' Access To Advance Vulnerability Notifications

Taiwan, U.S.: Lai Proposes Defense Spending Surge Amid U.S. Pressure

U.S., Mexico: Trump Administration Reportedly Directed Military To Prep Lethal Strikes Against Cartels

U.S., EU: Joint Statement on Trade Deal Framework Details Auto, Pharmaceutical, Chip Tariffs

India, Russia: Indian State Refineries Continue Russian Crude Purchases Despite U.S. Warnings

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