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A woman walks past graffiti that reads, "No war," on March 14, 2022, in Moscow, Russia. 

Military & Security

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Domestic support in Russia for its war in Ukraine may continue to fall in the coming months should setbacks and embarrassments continue. 

Russian War Support Ahead of Ukraine's Offensive 

Assessments

Democratic Republic of the Congo

United States

China

Taiwan

Greece

Armenia

Azerbaijan

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

Politics

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

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

U.S.-China Relations

Visitors wearing military camouflage stand at the entrance of the ''PMC Wagner Center,'' which is associated with the founder of the Wagner private military group (PMC), Yevgeny Prigozhin, in Saint Petersburg, Russia, on Nov. 4, 2022.

Wagner boss Prigozhin's public criticism of Putin's generals risks sowing divides within the Russian military and, over time, will likely contribute to the private contractor's reduced importance in the Ukraine war.

What the Escalating Wagner Feud Means for Russia's War in Ukraine -- And Beyond

Columns

On Geopolitics

Europe

Norway

Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang (3rd from right), Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store (4th from left) and members of their delegations meet in Oslo, Norway, on May 12, 2023. 

Environment, Science & Technology

As the Arctic Council leadership transfers from Russia to Norway, China is positioning itself to play a greater role in Arctic matters.

In the Arctic, Russia's Geopolitical Isolation Opens New Doors for China

Turkey

Japan

Thailand

Supporters of AKP and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on May 12, 2023, in Istanbul.

The Weekly Rundown: A G-7 Summit in Japan, Significant Elections in Turkey

South Africa

Brazil

India

An attendant stands next to South African, Indian, Russian, Brazilian and Chinese flags during a BRICS summit in Xiamen, China, on Sept. 4, 2017. 

Economics

Energy

The addition of other non-Western nations like Saudi Arabia would boost BRICS’ economic and political heft as an alternative to the G-7, though it may come at the cost of the bloc’s internal cohesion.

For BRICS, More Members Would Mean More Power -- and More Problems

Ukrainian soldiers take part in a military exercise in the Kharkiv region on May 1, 2023, amid Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine. 

Kyiv's spring offensive will likely target the south, where even small gains could put Russian forces on the defensive and force Putin to mull more unpopular mobilization measures.

Ukraine's Counteroffensive Appears Imminent. Here's What To Watch For.

Chile

Saudi Arabia

South Korea

Russian soldiers march in Moscow on May 4, 2023, during a rehearsal for the Victory Day military parade on May 9.

The Weekly Rundown: Russia Marks Victory Day, Japan's Leader Visits South Korea

Yu Jun (left), the deputy director of the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s Eurasia Department, and Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin (right) hold a press briefing in Beijing on April 26, 2023, following Chinese President Xi Jinping’s phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky earlier that day.

China’s efforts to frame itself as a promoter of peace in Ukraine are unlikely to achieve progress in the foreseeable future and its activities will remain aligned with Russia’s goals.

What to Make of Xi and Zelensky’s First Call Since Russia’s Invasion

Snapshots

Syria

A picture shows the Saudi Embassy in the Syrian capital of Damascus on April 13, 2023. 

Assad's refusal to concede power will impede Arab states' recent push to ease his regime's international isolation by fueling concerns among regional and U.S. skeptics. 

The Obstacles to Syria's Normalization

Egypt

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi is seen on the sidelines of the COP27 summit on Nov. 11, 2022.

The scheme highlights the tricky balancing act Cairo finds itself in, as it tries to reduce its reliance on Washington without jeopardizing its access to vital U.S. aid.

The Significance of Egypt’s Scrapped Plan to Make Rockets for Russia

The Chinese and Russian national flags (R) on March 22, 2022, in Beijing. New Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu will meet with his counterpart, Sergei Shoigu, on April 16 in Russia to discuss global and regional security issues and bilateral military cooperation.

The Weekly Rundown: China's Defense Minister Visits Russia, Local Elections in Nigeria

Central African Republic

Central African Republic President Faustin-Archange Touadera said his government will hold a constitutional referendum on July 15-28 to alter the constitution and remove term limits, Reuters reported on May 30.

Central African Republic: President Plans Constitutional Referendum to Cancel Term Limits

Drones hit Moscow -- including a wealthy area outside the city center -- in what appeared to be the first attack on residential areas of the Russian capital since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, NBC reported on May 30.

Russia: Drone Attack Elicits Division Among Officials, Pro-Kremlin Voices

The South African government announced that it will apply the Diplomatic Immunity and Privileges Act to all international officials at events related to the BRICS trade bloc (consisting of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) scheduled in the coming months, Daily Maverick reported on May 29.

South Africa: Government Grants Diplomatic Immunity to Visiting Leaders for BRICS Summit

The leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan issued expressions of optimism about a peace treaty despite verbally sparing in front of Russian President Vladimir Putin about the future of the Nagorno-Karabakh region and regional transit corridors, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported on May 25. 

Armenia, Azerbaijan: Leaders Mix Optimistic Talk With Open Argument in Moscow

Hungary

The European Commission approved Hungary's request to amend contracts with Russia's state-owned Rosatom to allow for the construction of two new 1.2-gigawatt water-water energetic reactors (VVERs) at its Paks nuclear power plant, Reuters reported on May 25.

Hungary, Russia: Brussels Greenlights Hungary's Nuclear Expansion Contract With Russia

Kazakhstan

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev criticized the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union and appeared to caution against political integration between its members, The Moscow Times reported on May 25.

Kazakhstan: Tokayev Tries to Slow Eurasian Economic Union Integration, Avoid Western Sanctions

The head of the Russian paramilitary Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, expressed pessimism regarding the trajectory of the Russia-Ukraine war under its current leaders, admitted that Wagner has suffered around 40,000 casualties in the battle for Ukraine's city of Bakhmut, and called for further waves of mobilization, Reuters reported on May 24.

Russia: Prigozhin Questions War Trajectory, Calls for More Mobilization

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

Maldives

Malta

Belize

Botswana

Brunei Darussalam

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.

Burundi

Finland

Israel

Nepal

Cameroon

Canada

Georgia

Jordan

Pakistan

Mir Castle in the Minsk region of Belarus.

Cabo Verde

Federated States of Micronesia

Kuwait

Liechtenstein

Sri Lanka

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

Palestinian Territories

Djibouti

Ecuador

Holy See (Vatican City)

Malaysia

Qatar

El Salvador

Equatorial Guinea

Marshall Islands

Eritrea

France

Grenada

Mongolia

<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>

Russian Federation

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Belarus

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives to deliver his annual state of the nation on Feb. 21, 2023, in Moscow.

SITUATION REPORTS

Central African Republic: President Plans Constitutional Referendum to Cancel Term Limits

Russia: Drone Attack Elicits Division Among Officials, Pro-Kremlin Voices

South Africa: Government Grants Diplomatic Immunity to Visiting Leaders for BRICS Summit

Armenia, Azerbaijan: Leaders Mix Optimistic Talk With Open Argument in Moscow

Hungary, Russia: Brussels Greenlights Hungary's Nuclear Expansion Contract With Russia

Kazakhstan: Tokayev Tries to Slow Eurasian Economic Union Integration, Avoid Western Sanctions

Russia: Prigozhin Questions War Trajectory, Calls for More Mobilization

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

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