<p>Eurasia is the world&rsquo;s most expansive region. It connects the East to the West, forming a land bridge that borders Europe, the Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and South Asia. Forming the borders of this massive tract of land are the Northern European Plain, the Carpathian Mountains, the Southern Caucasus Mountains, the Tien Shan Mountains and Siberia. At the heart of Eurasia is Russia, a country that throughout history has tried, to varying degrees of success, to extend its influence to Eurasia&rsquo;s farthest reaches &mdash; a strategy meant to insulate it from outside powers. But this strategy necessarily creates conflict throughout Russia&rsquo;s borderlands, putting Eurasia a near constant state of instability.</p>

Eurasia connects the East to the West, forming a land bridge that borders Europe, the Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and South Asia. 

Eurasia

Armenia

Tajikistan

Turkmenistan

Ukraine

Uzbekistan

Azerbaijan

Georgia

Belarus

Kazakhstan

Kyrgyzstan

Russia

Moldova

The Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict

Cyber

The Ukraine Conflict

The Politics of Pipelines

The New Silk Road

Commodities: A Cautionary Tale

A Crude Recovery

The Second Space Race

Echoes of the Cold War

Russia's Internal Struggle

The Fight for Russia’s Borderlands

Moscow Looks to the East

Instability in Central Asia

Assessments

United States

Israel

Palestinian Territories

Australia

U.S. President Donald Trump (R) and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Aug. 15, 2025, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska. Delegations from the United States and Russia, including U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Affairs Minister Sergey Lavrov, respectively, will meet this week to resume conversations about their countries' bilateral relationship and the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Israel-Hamas Conflict

Military & Security

Politics

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

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

The Weekly Rundown: U.S. and Russian Delegations Meet, a Still-Fragile Hamas-Israel Ceasefire 

Russian flag on a cracked wall, illustrating an economic decline with a downward arrow. 

Economics

Energy

Despite high consumer confidence, underlying economic indicators show a significant contraction in non-defense industrial production, slowing consumption and falling investment, signaling that the Kremlin's war economy is steadily deteriorating.

Russia's War Economy Is Faltering

Syria

Turkey

Japan

France

The assembly hall of the Syrian parliament Oct. 1 in Damascus. An Oct. 5 indirect election for parliament will mark the first time Syrians have had an electoral say in their government since the 1960s.

The Weekly Rundown: Japan's Election, Syria's Political Transition

Snapshots

Europe

Moldovan President Maia Sandu arrives to hold a press conference in Chisinau on Sept. 29, 2025, after her pro-EU party secured a victory in parliamentary elections. 

Despite a clear win for the pro-EU Action and Solidarity in the Sept. 28 parliamentary election, Moldova's path to EU accession remains fraught with obstacles, including the unresolved Transdniestria conflict, entrenched corruption and the need for politically sensitive judicial reforms.

Even With PAS Victory, Moldova's Road to EU Membership Remains Long

Media

Sub-Saharan Africa

Americas

Middle East and North Africa

Asia-Pacific

South Asia

Forecast Webcast

Join our analysts for this webcast recording exploring key topics identified in RANE's 2025 Fourth-Quarter Forecast.

2025 Fourth-Quarter Forecast Webcast

U.S.-China Relations

Iran

China

The U.N. Security Council holds a meeting on Iran at the U.N. headquarters in New York City, New York, on Sept. 19, 2025. 

The increased isolation will make Iran more reliant on China and Russia, while the added economic strain could fuel domestic protests and empower Iranian hard-liners calling for more aggressive action against the West.

U.N. Sanctions Snapback: What's Next for Iran?

U.S.-Iran Relations

A Polish-made FlyEye V3.0 drone is displayed during the Iron Defender-25 media day on Sept. 18, 2025, in Nowa Deba, Poland. 

European efforts to fast-track a sophisticated anti-drone system will unlock major contracts for defense firms, but the vast scale of the project will leave Europe exposed to Russian provocations for years.

EU 'Drone Wall' Plans Will Take Years To Materialize, Leaving Continent Vulnerable in the Meantime

The fourth quarter will bring shifting trade tactics, evolving wars, and pivotal elections and flashpoints worldwide that will test governments’ stability and market confidence.

2025 Fourth-Quarter Forecast: An Excerpt

Denmark

Representatives are pictured ahead of a working session during the informal EU foreign ministers' meeting in Copenhagen, Denmark, on Aug. 30, 2025.

The Weekly Rundown: EU Leaders Meet in Denmark, Moldova Elects a New Parliament

The Moldovan flag flutters near government buildings in Chisinau on Jan. 17, 2025. 

Moldova's ambition for EU accession faces a critical test in elections due Sept. 28, where the performance of the pro-Russian bloc could either derail pro-European reforms or preserve a narrow, albeit unstable, path toward the West.

Moldova's Election: Potential Outcomes and Their Implications

Global Elections

Russia launched a massive overnight barrage of drones and missiles targeting Ukraine's gas and power infrastructure in the Poltava, Vinnytsia, Sumy and Kharkiv regions, forcing shutdowns at key production sites and deepening nationwide electricity deficits, Bloomberg reported on Oct. 16. 

Ukraine, Russia: Sustained Russian Strikes Threaten Ukraine's Energy Security, Testing National Resilience

India

On Oct. 16, U.S. President Donald Trump said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had assured him that India would halt oil purchases from Russia, The Economic Times reported on Oct. 17.

India: Trump Claims Modi Assured Him India Would Stop Purchasing Russian Oil

Madagascar

The African Union announced the suspension of Madagascar's membership from the continental bloc in response to the Malagasy military's Oct. 14 coup, warned of sanctions against the country's new military rulers and called for a civilian-led transitional government that organizes new elections as soon as possible, Radio France Internationale reported on Oct. 16.

Madagascar: African Union Suspends Madagascar Over Military Coup

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Japanese Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato that the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump expects Japan to stop importing Russian energy, according to an Oct. 15 X post from Bessent.

Japan, U.S.: Request for Russian Energy Curbs Risks Ties With New Government

After a phone call with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Oct. 16, U.S. President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social that the conversation was "very productive" and that there will be a meeting of high level advisors from both countries "next week."

U.S., Russia: Trump Speaks With Putin, Announces Upcoming Meetings

Kazakhstan's government confirmed that Azerbaijan's state oil company, SOCAR, is in advanced negotiations to join the Dunga oil field project, an asset formerly majority-owned by French supermajor TotalEnergies, Report Information Agency reported on Oct. 14.

Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan: Governments Deepen Energy Ties to Power Middle Corridor

In its latest monthly report, the International Energy Agency stated that Ukrainian drone strikes will keep Russia's oil refineries operating at reduced capacity until at least mid-2026, Bloomberg reported on Oct. 15.

Russia, Ukraine: Ukraine's Strikes To Cause Long-Term Damage to Russian Oil

Azerbaijan's Deputy Prime Minister Shahin Mustafayev announced that construction of the Horadiz-Agbend railway and highway, key links in the North-South and Araz transport corridors, will be completed by 2026, Azerbaijan State News Agency reported on Oct. 13.

Azerbaijan, Russia, Iran: Azerbaijan Positions Itself as Core of Russia-Iran Logistics Network

Eurasia

SITUATION REPORTS

Ukraine, Russia: Sustained Russian Strikes Threaten Ukraine's Energy Security, Testing National Resilience

India: Trump Claims Modi Assured Him India Would Stop Purchasing Russian Oil

Madagascar: African Union Suspends Madagascar Over Military Coup

Japan, U.S.: Request for Russian Energy Curbs Risks Ties With New Government

U.S., Russia: Trump Speaks With Putin, Announces Upcoming Meetings

Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan: Governments Deepen Energy Ties to Power Middle Corridor

Russia, Ukraine: Ukraine's Strikes To Cause Long-Term Damage to Russian Oil

Azerbaijan, Russia, Iran: Azerbaijan Positions Itself as Core of Russia-Iran Logistics Network

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