United States

China

Europe

Ukraine

Russia

India

Economics

Politics

U.S. President Donald Trump told European leaders during a conference call on Sept. 9 that he would be willing to add new tariffs on India and China to pressure Russia to end the war in Ukraine, but only if the Europeans also applied such tariffs, according to Bloomberg.

U.S., Europe: Trump Proposes U.S.-Europe Tariffs on China, Brussels Will Reject It

Energy

China is preparing to allow major Russian energy companies to sell yuan-denominated "panda bonds" in its domestic market, providing a new financing channel for companies largely cut off from international capital since 2022, the Financial Times reported on Sept. 9.

Russia, China: China To Open 'Panda Bond' Market to Sanctioned Russian Energy Companies

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

An EU delegation is in the United States to coordinate a new sanctions package against Russia, Bloomberg reported on Sept. 8. 

Russia, EU, U.S.: U.S.-EU Sanctions Push Complicated by Energy Rift Ahead of Washington Talks

Equatorial Guinea

Gabon

Nigeria

Republic of the Congo

Venezuela

Algeria

Iran

Iraq

Kuwait

Libya

Saudi Arabia

United Arab Emirates

On Sept. 7, OPEC+ agreed to increase its oil production quota by 137,000 barrels per day in October, though it did not publish any guidance on production levels beyond October.

OPEC+: Bloc To Lift Oil Production Further in October

Military & Security

Speaking at the Vladivostok Economic Forum, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that ''any troops'' deployed to Ukraine would be considered ''legitimate targets for destruction,'' Reuters reported Sept. 5. 

Russia, Ukraine: Putin Declares Foreign Troops in Ukraine 'Legitimate Targets,' Dismisses Current Peace Efforts

Russia and China signed a memorandum of understanding to build the Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline following recent talks between the two countries' presidents, Reuters reported Sept. 2. However, the CEO of the Russian state energy company Gazprom, Alexei Miller, confirmed that the price of Russian gas exported via the pipeline has not yet been agreed upon.

Russia, China: Countries Sign Deal to Advance New Pipeline, but Pricing Gap Shows Beijing's Leverage

Global Trade

In a Truth Social post on Sept. 1, U.S. President Donald Trump claimed that India had agreed to reduce its tariffs on U.S. goods to zero, though he did not specify when the offer was made, Bloomberg reported the same day.

U.S., India, China, Russia: Modi Meets Putin and Xi at SCO Summit

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky outlined three pillars for Ukraine's security guarantees: sustained army funding and arms supplies, pledges to support Ukraine's accession to NATO, and continued sanctions and use of frozen Russian assets, Reuters reported on Aug. 29. 

Russia, Ukraine: Zelensky Lays Out Framework for Security Guarantees Following Russian Strike

Assessments

Kazakhstan

In this pool photograph distributed by the Russian state agency Sputnik, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev waits to greet foreign leaders during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization member states leaders' summit in Astana on July 4, 2024.

Despite President Tokayev's reform proposals, Kazakhstan's succession process will remain vulnerable to destabilizing forces, including elite rivalries and foreign influence.

How Kazakhstan's Proposed Reforms Will Impact the Question of Succession

Snapshots

Poland

Russia's drone incursion into Poland highlights Moscow's increasing willingness to test Western resolve as it continues mass airstrikes on Ukraine, prepares for war games in Belarus and negotiations to end the war are stalled. 


Russian Drones Crossing into Poland Risk Escalation with NATO

Participants of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit 2025 pose for photos in Tianjin, China, on Sept. 1, 2025.

U.S. trade uncertainty will help China deepen trade ties with its Central Asian neighbors and infrastructure ties with Russia, but its relations with India will remain inhibited by border disputes and differing defense priorities.

China Positions Itself as Growth Catalyst for Central Asia at SCO Summit

Media

Lithuania

Germany

Finland

Latvia

Denmark

Estonia

Sweden

Podcasts

Why is the Baltic such a critical and complex region?

Essential Geopolitics: Remilitarization in the Baltic

Ecuador

Mexico

North Korea

Helicopters fly in the sky during a rehearsal for a military parade Aug. 24 in Beijing.

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

The Weekly Rundown: An SCO Summit, Rubio Closes Security Deals With Mexico and Ecuador

Central African Republic

Rwanda

Members of the Unity for Peace in the Central African Republic (UPC) rebel group gather at the DDR (disarmament, demobilization and reintegration) site in Maloum, the Central African Republic, on July 24. 2025.

The dissolution of key rebel groups and the reintegration of ex-fighters could stabilize the country after years of conflict, but the process will remain fragile amid funding challenges and potential attacks from non-signatories.

Central African Republic's New Peace Deal Holds Promise, but Challenges Persist

Eurasia

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

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

Bolivia

Israel

Palestinian Territories

An aerial view shows a campaign poster of Bolivian presidential candidate Samuel Doria Medina and his supporters marching during a rally in La Paz, Bolivia, on Aug. 12, 2025.

The Weekly Rundown: Bolivian Elections, a Controversial Israeli Settlement Plan 

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

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?

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

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

U.S.-China Relations

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

<p>Despite being the largest country in the world by area, the Russian Federation occupies territory that is indefensible and unforgiving. The core of Russia, running from the Volga grain belts up through Moscow proper to the Baltic Sea, lacks any natural features to fortify it from attack. This is why the country has traditionally anchored its territory to major geographic barriers far from its core in an attempt to keep foreign powers distant. As a result, Russia has inevitably had to reach east across the frozen tundra of Siberia to the Pacific Ocean, southeast to the Tien Shen mountains of Central Asia, south to the Caucasus Mountains bordering Iran and Turkey, and finally west to the Carpathian Mountains in Central Europe. But, there is one major hole in this geographic expanse: The Northern European plane. The Northern European plane is a gap between the Carpathian Mountains and the Baltic sea which, at its narrowest, is 480 kilometers (300 miles) across. This narrow point, referred to as the Polish funnel, lies just West of Warsaw and reaches down Krakow in the south. Russia has faced three major attackers along this axis; Napoleon, Wilhelm II, and Hitler. Most recently, the expansion of NATO and the European Union into Central and Eastern Europe has raised Russian hackles. Moscow would much prefer to control the lands between Russia and the Polish funnel &mdash; pushing as far west as possible &mdash; knowing full well that once an attacker has passed that narrow chokepoint, it is an open march to Russia&#39;s heartland. For this reason, Moscow seeks to occupy or influence its borderlands, or at the very least, maintain their neutrality. Looking beyond its indefensible borders and largely hollow interior, Russia boasts a diverse population of 144,463,450 people and a powerful military. These armed forces, backed by an autocratic political system, help protect the country&#39;s unwieldy land mass. Russia&#39;s economy is inherently fragile and highly dependent on commodity exports ranging from grain to energy. The country is traditionally at its most powerful when a strong, heavy-handed leader is in charge, such as current Russian President Vladimir Putin. Despite this, though, the Kremlin must continually deal with internal political divisions, rising ethnic tensions and regional dissidence.</p>

SITUATION REPORTS

U.S., Europe: Trump Proposes U.S.-Europe Tariffs on China, Brussels Will Reject It

Russia, China: China To Open 'Panda Bond' Market to Sanctioned Russian Energy Companies

Russia, EU, U.S.: U.S.-EU Sanctions Push Complicated by Energy Rift Ahead of Washington Talks

OPEC+: Bloc To Lift Oil Production Further in October

Russia, Ukraine: Putin Declares Foreign Troops in Ukraine 'Legitimate Targets,' Dismisses Current Peace Efforts

Russia, China: Countries Sign Deal to Advance New Pipeline, but Pricing Gap Shows Beijing's Leverage

U.S., India, China, Russia: Modi Meets Putin and Xi at SCO Summit

Russia, Ukraine: Zelensky Lays Out Framework for Security Guarantees Following Russian Strike

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