<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

Ukrainian servicemen maintain a 2S22 Bohdana self-propelled howitzer near Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region on May 27 in Pokrovsk, Ukraine.

Military & Security

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

With grinding ground offensives yielding minimal gains at a severe human cost, Moscow is likely to escalate devastating aerial strikes designed to cripple critical infrastructure and force Kyiv into concessions.


What the Fall of Kostiantynivka Would Mean for the Ukraine War 

Snapshots

People gather for a second consecutive day of protests in central Kyiv, Ukraine, on July 17, 2026, following the controversial dismissal of Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov.

Politics

Zelensky's potentially imminent decision to dismiss the army chief under mounting public pressure would weaken his authority, while prolonged turmoil could further strain Ukraine's war effort.

Defense Minister's Ouster Plunges Ukraine Into Biggest Wartime Political Crisis Yet

Europe

Albania

Montenegro

A man checks the flags of EU countries in 2004. 

Recent negotiations saw Montenegro and Albania pushed into advanced legislative alignment while Brussels expanded accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova.


The Progress, Prospects and Risks of EU Enlargement

Cars stand in line for gasoline at a Lukoil gas station on July 8, 2026, outside of Moscow, Russia.

Economics

Energy

Russia will retain the ability to produce and export most of its oil, but sustained Ukrainian strikes will erode its refining capacity, exacerbate domestic fuel shortages and raise the risk of deeper production cuts.

Ukrainian Strikes Deepen Russia's Fuel Refining Crisis

United States

Iran

Israel

Lebanon

Indonesia

Myanmar

Philippines

Singapore

Thailand

France

United Kingdom

ASEAN leaders hold hands for a group photo during the opening ceremony of the 48th ASEAN summit in Cebu, central Philippines on May 8, 2026. 

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.-Iran Tensions Remain High, ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meet With Myanmar

Turkey

Billboards are seen ahead of the upcoming NATO Summit in Ankara, Turkey, on June 26, 2026.

Recent U.S. military drawdowns in Germany and threatened reductions in Italy and Spain underscore the stakes of the summit on July 7-8.

Transatlantic Tensions Set To Dominate NATO Summit in Ankara

Media

Cuba

Forecast Webcast

Join our analysts for this webcast recording exploring key topics identified in RANE's 2026 Third-Quarter Geopolitical Forecast.

2026 Third-Quarter Forecast Webcast

U.S.-Iran Relations

An officer of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine stands on a destroyed bridge over the Dnipro River, which forms the state border between Ukraine and Belarus, on June 1, 2026.

The threat of Ukrainian retaliatory strikes and Belarus's limited offensive capabilities will likely keep Minsk from directly entering the conflict, but the country will remain a critical base for Russian military pressure against Ukraine and NATO.

Despite Russian Pressure, Belarus Remains Unlikely to Join the Ukraine War

Sub-Saharan Africa

Americas

Middle East and North Africa

Asia-Pacific

South Asia

Environment, Science & Technology

Social Issues

A fragile truce in the Middle East, persistent energy-driven inflation, shifting U.S. trade policy and escalating regional pressures from Europe to Africa will collectively shape geopolitical risk in the third quarter.

2026 Third-Quarter Forecast: An Excerpt

Botswana

Lesotho

Namibia

South Africa

Eswatini

Colombia

Vessels at anchorage June 18 in Bandar Abbas, Iran, along the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding signed June 17 is highly likely to remain in effect over the coming week, and negotiations toward a final deal will begin.

The Weekly Rundown: U.S. and Iranian Talks, Colombia's Presidential Runoff

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held a 35-minute meeting on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations' ministerial gathering in Manila, Philippines, The Guardian reported on July 23.

U.S., Russia, Ukraine: Rubio-Lavrov Meeting in Manila Predictably Yields No Breakthrough

EU ambassadors approved the bloc's 21st sanctions package against Russia on July 23, its largest in four years with 218 listings, after granting Greece a renewable one-year exemption allowing EU companies to continue shipping Russian liquefied natural gas to third countries, Reuters reported the same day.

EU: Bloc Agrees to Watered-Down 21st Russia Sanctions Package

Mali

The United States is considering taking military action in Mali against al Qaeda affiliate Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, or JNIM, The Washington Post reported on July 22, citing statements from current and former officials of U.S. President Donald Trump's administration. 

Mali: Trump Administration Eyes Military Action Against JNIM

Ukrainian drones struck Wildberries warehouses in Krasnodar and Nevinnomyssk, injuring several workers and extending a series of attacks on Russia's largest online retailer, Reuters reported on July 22. 

Russia, Ukraine: Strikes on Russian Online Retailer Drag Russia's Consumer Economy Into the War

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Maj. Gen. Mykhailo Drapatyi would replace Lt. Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi as commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces, Interfax-Ukraine reported on July 21.

Ukraine: Zelensky Replaces Syrskyi With Drapatyi, Offers Fedorov Technology Role

Germany

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz signed a joint declaration establishing a strategic bilateral agenda and a separate agreement creating an Azerbaijan-Germany Business Council in Berlin, AZERTAC reported on July 21. 

Azerbaijan, Germany: Strategic Agenda Will Deepen Energy and Transit Ties

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held a fresh round of meetings with top military commanders amid media reports that he was considering dismissing Lt. Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, the commander-in-chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces, in the face of protests demanding Syrskyi's removal and broader military reform, Interfax-Ukraine reported on July 20.

Ukraine: Zelensky Meets His Top Brass, Denying His Army Chief Is Out

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appointed Maj. Gen. Ievhen Khmara, acting head of the Security Service of Ukraine, as interim defense minister after Mykhailo Fedorov's removal triggered rare wartime protests and the resignation of deputy air force commander Col. Pavlo Yelizarov, Interfax-Ukraine reported on July 16. 

Ukraine: Popular Defense Minister's Ouster Sparks Protests, Exposes Civilian-Military Rift

Eurasia

SITUATION REPORTS

U.S., Russia, Ukraine: Rubio-Lavrov Meeting in Manila Predictably Yields No Breakthrough

EU: Bloc Agrees to Watered-Down 21st Russia Sanctions Package

Mali: Trump Administration Eyes Military Action Against JNIM

Russia, Ukraine: Strikes on Russian Online Retailer Drag Russia's Consumer Economy Into the War

Ukraine: Zelensky Replaces Syrskyi With Drapatyi, Offers Fedorov Technology Role

Azerbaijan, Germany: Strategic Agenda Will Deepen Energy and Transit Ties

Ukraine: Zelensky Meets His Top Brass, Denying His Army Chief Is Out

Ukraine: Popular Defense Minister's Ouster Sparks Protests, Exposes Civilian-Military Rift

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