United States

China

Vietnam

Economics

Politics

The United States submitted a lengthy list of "tough" demands to Vietnam in ongoing trade negotiations, including measures that would reduce Hanoi's ability to import industrial inputs from China, Reuters reported on June 3.

Vietnam, U.S.: Hanoi Faces Industrial Realignment Choices Amid Steep U.S. Demands

Jordan

Syria

Turkey

Military & Security

The U.S. envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, said the United States had begun reducing its troop presence in Syria "from eight bases, to five, to three. We'll eventually go to one," the Financial Times reported on June 3. 

Syria, U.S.: U.S. Begins Troop Drawdown in Syria

The U.S. Trump administration asked other countries to finalize their best trade offers to the United States by June 4, Reuters reported on June 2, citing a draft letter to negotiating partners from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.

U.S.: Washington Pushes Countries To Submit Final Trade Offers by June 4

U.S.-China Relations

The president of the EU Chamber of Commerce in China said China was approving only a few rare earth export licenses, "far from being sufficient to prevent imminent production halts," The New York Times reported on June 2.

U.S., China: Rare Earth Export Curbs Start To Bite, Beijing Refutes U.S. Accusations

Iran

U.S.-Iran Relations

Iran will effectively reject the May 31 U.S. nuclear deal proposal, Reuters reported on June 2, citing a senior Iranian diplomat.

Iran, U.S.: Iran To Reject Latest U.S. Nuclear Deal Proposal

Israel

Palestinian Territories

Israel-Hamas Conflict

The Palestinian militant group Hamas said the current U.S.-led proposal to pause the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza "fails to meet any of the just and legitimate demands of our people" but added that the group would continue to "study" the proposal without rejecting it, Reuters reported on May 30.

Israel, Gaza: Hamas Rejects U.S. Ceasefire Proposal But Does Not Abandon Talks

U.S. President Donald Trump claimed on Truth Social on May 30 that China "perhaps not surprisingly to some, HAS TOTALLY VIOLATED ITS AGREEMENT WITH US. So much for being Mr. NICE GUY," in reference to the United States' May 12 deal with China to reduce tariffs.

U.S., China: Trump Cries Foul on Trade as Both Sides Maintain Retaliatory Power

Australia

Japan

New Zealand

Philippines

New Zealand Defense Minister Judith Collins announced an expanded regional military role, committing to more frequent and longer-reaching deployments and closer cooperation with allies so Wellington can "pull its weight," Reuters reported on May 30. 

New Zealand: Wellington To 'Pull Its Weight' in South China Sea, Indian Ocean

Assessments

Ukraine

Russia

Service members of Ukraine's 13th Khartia Brigade load a Vampire drone with food and ammunition supplies to be delivered to the infantry at the frontline on March 7, 2025, in the Kharkiv region of Ukraine. 

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Ukraine's recent string of asymmetric attacks on Russian soil could make Moscow more flexible in negotiations, but it also risks diplomatic blowback that at least temporarily scuttles peace talks.

The Implications of Ukraine's Audacious Attacks on Russia

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Rwanda

M23 fighters are seen at the main border crossing between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda in Goma on March 1, 2025.

Mediation efforts from the Trump administration will likely see the two African countries ink a peace deal in the coming months, but implementation will prove challenging, sustaining the risk of a new military escalation in eastern Congo.

U.S. Mediation Brings Congo and Rwanda Closer to a Peace Deal

Snapshots

Canada

Mexico

South Korea

Europe

A U.S. courthouse facade with columns in lower Manhattan, New York.

Global Trade

The court ruling nullifies most -- though not all -- of the Trump administration's tariffs, giving U.S. trading partners temporary breathing room in negotiations while the White House searches for alternative trade measures.

The White House's Tariff Ambitions Bend -- But Do Not Break -- Under the Weight of a Court Ruling

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: May 29, 2025

Dunster House at Harvard University is seen on March 17, 2025, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. 

Environment, Science & Technology

Science & Technology

The Trump administration's latest salvo against elite U.S. universities highlights a broader campaign that will have lasting implications for domestic scientific research, innovation and competitiveness.

The Implications of Trump's Pressure Campaign Against U.S. Universities

Malaysia

The ASEAN logo May 15 in front of the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Malaysia will host the first of the two annual summits of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations on May 26.

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

The Weekly Rundown: Trans-Atlantic Trade Talks Intensify, Malaysia Hosts Two Summits

The U.S. Capitol building is seen on the evening of May 20, 2025, in Washington, D.C. 

The bill could lead to higher U.S. yields by heightening concerns about large fiscal deficits and increasing debt levels, but it is unlikely to alone severely undermine investor confidence.

The Economic Upshot of U.S. Republicans' Budget Reconciliation Bill

U.S. Naval Update Map: May 22, 2025

Columns

On Geopolitics

Visitors walk down the inclined shaft at Steenkampskraal rare-earth mine on July 29, 2019, about 80 kilometers (about 50 miles) from Vanrhynsdorp, a town in Western Cape province, South Africa.

U.S.-China trade tensions are increasing the risk of supply chain disruptions for critical raw materials, but companies can take steps to mitigate this danger.

Corporate America Comes to Grips With Supply Chain Risks to Critical Raw Materials

Supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan hold the movement's flag during a demonstration in the capital, Amman, on Nov. 28, 2014.

Militant factions of the Muslim Brotherhood will likely go underground in Jordan following the government's ban on the organization, but Iranian influence and persistent socioeconomic grievances will sustain risks of violence.

In Jordan, a Ban Pushes the Muslim Brotherhood Underground

For export-reliant developing countries that were already facing financial distress, the global uncertainty created by Trump's sweeping tariffs will sharply increase economic risks, as well as introduce political instability risks.

 Trump's Tariffs Will Hit Developing Economies Hard

U.S. Naval Update Map: May 15, 2025

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

Vietnam, U.S.: Hanoi Faces Industrial Realignment Choices Amid Steep U.S. Demands

Syria, U.S.: U.S. Begins Troop Drawdown in Syria

U.S.: Washington Pushes Countries To Submit Final Trade Offers by June 4

U.S., China: Rare Earth Export Curbs Start To Bite, Beijing Refutes U.S. Accusations

Iran, U.S.: Iran To Reject Latest U.S. Nuclear Deal Proposal

Israel, Gaza: Hamas Rejects U.S. Ceasefire Proposal But Does Not Abandon Talks

U.S., China: Trump Cries Foul on Trade as Both Sides Maintain Retaliatory Power

New Zealand: Wellington To 'Pull Its Weight' in South China Sea, Indian Ocean

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