United States

Ukraine

Russia

Military & Security

Politics

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

The U.S. Trump administration reportedly dissolved a working group on pressuring Russia to be more flexible in peace talks with Ukraine, Reuters reported on June 17, citing three unnamed U.S. officials.

U.S., Russia: New Reports Signal Dwindling U.S. Pressure on Russia To Negotiate

China

Kazakhstan

Energy

Kazakhstan's atomic energy agency announced that Russia's state nuclear corporation Rosatom and China's state-owned China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) have both been selected to lead two separate projects to build nuclear power plants in the country, Reuters reported June 14. 

Kazakhstan: Kazakhstan Selects Russia and China for Separate Nuclear Power Plant Projects

Canada

Indonesia

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto will travel to Russia on June 18-20 to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin and attend the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, skipping the Group of Seven summit in Canada despite a direct invitation from Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Bloomberg reported on June 12.

Indonesia, Russia: Indonesian President To Skip G7, Meet Putin Instead

Russia's ambassador to the United States, Alexander Darchiev, said a new round of U.S.-Russia negotiations will take place in Moscow "in the very near future," Reuters reported on June 11.

Russia, U.S.: Next Round of Talks Is Imminent, According to Russian Ambassador

Sub-Saharan Africa

Economics

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russia was looking to expand cooperation with African countries, including in the economic and security domains, Reuters reported on June 9.

Africa: Russia Vows To Step Up Economic and Security Cooperation With African Countries

Mali

Russia's paramilitary Wagner Group announced on its Telegram channel that it was exiting Mali, claiming that it had "completed its main mission" in the country, Reuters reported on June 6.

Mali: Russia's Wagner Group Announces Exit, But Africa Corps To Maintain Presence

U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters that Russia and Ukraine might need to "fight for a while" before they would get more serious about de-escalating the war, The New York Times reported on June 5. 

Russia, Ukraine: Trump Suggests Two Sides May Need To Fight More Before Ready for Peace

Iran

U.S.-Iran Relations

U.S. President Donald Trump announced that he held a call that lasted over an hour with Russian President Vladimir Putin in which the two discussed the war in Ukraine and Iran's nuclear program, according to a June 4 post on Truth Social.

Russia, U.S.: Trump Announces Call With Putin in Which Two Discuss Ukraine, Iran

Assessments

Turkey

Europe

India

Pakistan

The Geopolitics of Trade

Global Trade

Turkey's export strategy necessitates trade partnerships with countries in many different spheres of influence, portending both risks and opportunities as Ankara attempts to maintain its neutral middle-power status.

The Geopolitics of Trade: Turkey's Export Strategy Hinges on Neutrality

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. 

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

Mexico

South Korea

Poland

Ukrainian, U.S. and Russian delegates meet for peace talks in Istanbul, Turkey, on May 16, 2025. 

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

The Weekly Rundown: Ukraine-Russia Talks, Mexico's First-Ever Judicial Elections

Columns

On Geopolitics

Russian President Vladimir Putin on May 18 at the Congress of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs in Moscow. The increasing costs of the war in Ukraine will increase Moscow's incentive to end it, but only in the medium to long term.

The increasing costs of the war in Ukraine will increase Moscow's incentive to end it, but only in the medium to long term.

The Role of Economics in Russia's War Strategy

Vietnam

Azerbaijan

Belarus

Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) and Vietnamese Communist Party General Secretary To Lam (L) address journalists following their talks in Moscow, Russia, on May 10, 2025, during celebrations of the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. 

Vietnam is strengthening its relationships with Eurasian countries, especially Russia, as it looks to further diversify economic and energy ties away from great powers amid an unstable geopolitical landscape.

Russia-Vietnam Ties Are Set To Grow Following Lam's Eurasia Tour

This combination of pictures shows Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (left) during a press conference in Berlin on June 11, 2024, and Russian President Vladimir Putin during the Congress of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs in Moscow on March 18, 2025.

While direct talks mark a notable development in the peace process, Moscow will not make meaningful concessions unless it faces bolder action from the West (particularly the U.S.), like asset seizures and increased military aid to Ukraine.

Russia Agrees To Hold Talks With Ukraine Amid U.S. Pressure, but Peace Will Remain Elusive

The allure of implementing a sphere of influence model is more likely to disappoint those who may argue that it would create more stability and security.

The Temptations of a Sphere-of-Influence Model of International Relations

Snapshots

People walk past an electronic panel, promoting the contract service in the Russian armed forces, with a sign that reads "Our profession is to defend the Fatherland" in a shopping mall on May 11, 2024, in Moscow, Russia. 

Russia is signaling it may welcome back Western companies, but strict conditions, ongoing sanctions and reputational risks are likely to deter a widespread return.

Russia Opens Door to Western Firms, But With Major Strings Attached

France

United Kingdom

U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff (2 L) and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio (C) attend a meeting with European and Ukrainian officials on April 17 at the Elysee presidential palace in Paris.

Ukraine will be forced to choose between compromising on its supposed red lines to de-escalate its war with Russia, or risk losing U.S. support and its battlefield position. 

Growing U.S. Pressure for a Peace Deal Puts Ukraine in a Difficult Position

Armenia

Armenia's foreign minister (2nd R) speaks during a meeting with his Azerbaijani and Kazakh counterparts in Almaty on May 10, 2024. 

A peace deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan is edging closer, but political delays in Yerevan postpone its implementation and leave the risk of renewed border tensions unresolved.

Armenia-Azerbaijan Peace Deal Progresses, Though Hurdles Remain

Media

Israel

Australia

Philippines

Forecast Webcast

U.S.-China Relations

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

2025 Second-Quarter Forecast Webcast

Members of the Spanish and Bulgarian armed forces during the NATO exercise Steadfast Dart on Feb. 13, 2025, in Tsrancha, Bulgaria. 

Any U.S. retrenchment away from Europe will more likely be gradual, shaped by strategic realities, shared interests and material constraints, but this transition will still carry profound military, economic and societal implications that will deeply reshape the Continent's security landscape and accelerate the transition to a truly multipolar world.

The Future of Transatlantic Security Cooperation, Part 1: The View From Washington

<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., Russia: New Reports Signal Dwindling U.S. Pressure on Russia To Negotiate

Kazakhstan: Kazakhstan Selects Russia and China for Separate Nuclear Power Plant Projects

Indonesia, Russia: Indonesian President To Skip G7, Meet Putin Instead

Russia, U.S.: Next Round of Talks Is Imminent, According to Russian Ambassador

Africa: Russia Vows To Step Up Economic and Security Cooperation With African Countries

Mali: Russia's Wagner Group Announces Exit, But Africa Corps To Maintain Presence

Russia, Ukraine: Trump Suggests Two Sides May Need To Fight More Before Ready for Peace

Russia, U.S.: Trump Announces Call With Putin in Which Two Discuss Ukraine, Iran

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