Assessments

United States

A soldier places flags at the gravesites of U.S. military members buried at the Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia on May 24, 2012. 

Military & Security

Politics

In addition to other coalition partners, the United States depends on local civilians and security forces overseas. 

Remembering America's Allies on Memorial Day

Turkey

Europe

An image of the Turkish flag. 

Economics

Environment, Science & Technology

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

The Weekly Rundown: Turkey Holds a Presidential Runoff, U.S. Debt Ceiling Talks Enter Crunch Time

U.S.-China Relations

Media

Japan

South Korea

Podcasts

What forces are at play in shaping South Korea's strategic geopolitical relationships?

Applied Geopolitics: South Korea's Response to Shifting Geopolitical Balances 

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 25, 2023

China

Why is Beijing cracking down on foreign businesses?

Essential Geopolitics: Beijing's Campaign Against U.S. Firms 

The offices of U.S. semiconductor manufacturer Micron in Shanghai, China, are seen on May 22, 2023.

The partial ban on the U.S. firm's memory chips signals Beijing's willingness to use disruptive legal tools in the name of national security against Western companies amid the growing tech standoff.

By Banning U.S. Chipmaker Micron, China Hits Back at Western Tech Restrictions

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Taiwan

Greece

Armenia

Azerbaijan

Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin (C), Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan (R) and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev hold talks Oct. 31, 2022, in Sochi, Russia.

The Weekly Rundown: Armenia's and Azerbaijan's Leaders Meet in Moscow, an APEC Summit in Detroit

Then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (center left) walks alongside Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen after arriving at the president's office in Taipei on Aug. 3, 2022. 

The U.S., Japan and Europe's growing political support for Taiwan has the potential to accelerate China's military and economic coercive efforts and further decouple global supply chains.

The Evolving Taiwan-China Relationship, Part 4: Diplomatic Relations

Philippines

What's driving the reinvigorated U.S.-Philippines alliance?

Essential Geopolitics: The Impact of Deepened U.S.-Philippines Relations on U.S.-China Tensions

U.S. Naval Update Map: May 18, 2023

U.S. Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy talks to reporters at the U.S. Capitol on May 17, 2023, about the current impasse over raising the nation's debt limit.

With the U.S. Treasury projected to run out of funds needed to service all of its obligations on June 1, time is running out for Congress to find a solution that keeps the world's largest economy from defaulting on its debt.

What to Expect as the U.S. Barrels Toward a Politically-Induced Debt Default 

How will China respond to U.S. tech restrictions?

Essential Geopolitics: China's Response to Tech Restrictions by the U.S. and Allies

U.S. officials in the Biden administration are split over how to regulate artificial intelligence (AI), leading to uncertainty in the May 30-31 U.S.-EU Trade and Technology Council talks, Bloomberg reported on May 31.

U.S.: Biden Administration Split over AI Regulations

China turned down a U.S. request for the countries' defense ministers to meet at the June 2-4 Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Reuters reported on May 30.

China, U.S.: Beijing Says No to Shangri-La Defense Chiefs Meeting

Israel

Palestinian Territories

The U.S. State Department criticized Israel's order to legalize the Jewish Homesh outpost in the northern West Bank, a settlement that was evacuated as part of the 2005 Gaza disengagement law under which Israel withdrew from the Gaza Strip, The Jerusalem Post reported on May 29.

U.S., Israel: Washington Criticizes Israeli Reoccupation of West Bank Outpost

U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo met with Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao in Washington, where they discussed China's recent treatment of U.S. companies and U.S. economic restrictions on China, Reuters reported on May 25.

U.S., China: Commerce Officials Trade Concerns, Next U.S. Restrictions Will Test Talks

U.S. technology company Neuralink announced that the Food and Drug Administration approved the company's first in-human clinical study for the Link implantable brain-computer interfaces (BCIs), which aim to enable people with extreme paralysis to control external technologies using neural signals, BBC reported on May 25.

U.S.: FDA Approves Neuralink's First In-Human Clinical Trial

Ukraine

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

South Korea will reportedly send hundreds of thousands of unitary artillery rounds to the United States, which will then send them to Ukraine, according to The Wall Street Journal on May 25.

South Korea: Seoul Reportedly to Send Munitions to Ukraine via U.S.

Cyber

One of the largest observed cyberespionage campaigns by Chinese threat actors dubbed "Volt Typhoon" targeted a broad array of critical infrastructure in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United States and the U.S. territory of Guam, according to a May 25 report by Microsoft.

China, U.S.: Widespread Cyberespionage Campaign Targets U.S. Critical Infrastructure

NATO leaders are preparing a plan based on U.S. and other countries' agreements with Israel that is intended to help guarantee Ukrainian security, and they expect to sign an agreement on the matter following a July NATO summit, The Wall Street Journal reported on May 22.

Ukraine, U.S.: Washington Seeks 'Israel-Style' Security Agreement for Ukraine in Lieu of NATO Membership

Afghanistan

Algeria

Antigua and Barbuda

Luxembourg

South Sudan

A view of the Register in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

Angola

Argentina

Australia

Bahrain

Lithuania

Covering an area that spans the entire width of the continent beginning at the Sahara Desert and ending at the southernmost tip of South Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa is home to countless cultures, languages, religions, plants, animals and natural resources.

Barbados

Benin

Egypt

Maldives

Malta

Belize

Botswana

Brunei Darussalam

India

Iran

North Macedonia

Tajikistan

Bhutan

Bolivia

Burkina Faso

Cambodia

Germany

Iraq

The President palace in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan

The administrative center of the Gakh region of Azerbaijan, located at the foot of the southern slope of the Greater Caucasus, on the river Kurhumchai.

Brazil

Burundi

Finland

Nepal

Cameroon

Canada

Georgia

Jordan

Pakistan

Mir Castle in the Minsk region of Belarus.

Cabo Verde

Chile

Federated States of Micronesia

Kuwait

Liechtenstein

Sri Lanka

Central African Republic

Colombia

Fiji

Latvia

Lebanon

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Chad

Costa Rica

Indonesia

Libya

Comoros

Cuba

Czech Republic

A horse grazes in front of Kara-Kul lake in the Chon-Ak-Suu valley, 300 kilometers southeast of Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan.

Morocco

Cote d'Ivoire

Denmark

Dominica

Kiribati

Moldova

Oman

Dominican Republic

Laos

Djibouti

Ecuador

Holy See (Vatican City)

Malaysia

Qatar

El Salvador

Equatorial Guinea

Marshall Islands

Saudi Arabia

Eritrea

France

Grenada

Mongolia

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.: Biden Administration Split over AI Regulations

China, U.S.: Beijing Says No to Shangri-La Defense Chiefs Meeting

U.S., Israel: Washington Criticizes Israeli Reoccupation of West Bank Outpost

U.S., China: Commerce Officials Trade Concerns, Next U.S. Restrictions Will Test Talks

U.S.: FDA Approves Neuralink's First In-Human Clinical Trial

South Korea: Seoul Reportedly to Send Munitions to Ukraine via U.S.

China, U.S.: Widespread Cyberespionage Campaign Targets U.S. Critical Infrastructure

Ukraine, U.S.: Washington Seeks 'Israel-Style' Security Agreement for Ukraine in Lieu of NATO Membership

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