Canada

United States

China

Russia

Military & Security

On July 24, U.S. and Canadian fighter jets intercepted Russian and Chinese bomber patrols within the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) in their first joint Arctic flight operation, The Financial Times reported the next day.

U.S., Canada: Russian and Chinese Warplanes Intercepted Off Alaska

Economics

Russia's lower legislative house, or Duma, is set to adopt multiple bills updating the governance of cryptocurrencies in Russia, Interfax reported on July 24.

Russia: Duma To Adopt Laws on Crypto for Foreign Transactions and Cryptomining

Ethiopia

Sudan

Iran

Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, seized a military camp from the Sudanese Armed Forces, or SAF, located in the southeastern state of Sennar and launched attacks in neighboring White Nile state, Sudan Tribune reported on July 23.

Sudan: RSF Advances in White Nile and Sennar States

Ukraine

Politics

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba arrived in Beijing, China, for the first time since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine for a three-day trip at the invitation of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported on July 23.

Ukraine, China: Ukraine's Foreign Minister Visits China for First Time Since Start of War

Burkina Faso

Togo

Turkey

Al Qaeda affiliate Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, or JNIM, killed at least 12 Togolese soldiers at a military outpost near the locality of Kpekankandi in Togo's northern Savanes region, LSI Africa reported on July 21.

Togo: Al Qaeda Affiliate Launches Large-Scale Attack on Northern Military Outpost 

Environment, Science & Technology

Science & Technology

Russia's state-controlled telecoms operator Rostelecom issued a statement warning users that video hosting platform YouTube may experience outages due to possible "technical problems with equipment owned by Google," The Moscow Times reported on July 12.

Russia: Government Commences Slowdown of YouTube

Germany

Belarus

The United States and Germany agreed at the NATO summit to deploy American intermediate-range missiles, most importantly Tomahawk and eventually hypersonic missiles once they finish testing, in Germany by 2026 for the first time since the Cold War, Reuters reported on July 11.

U.S., Russia, Germany: U.S. To Deploy Intermediate-Range Missiles in Germany

India

Energy

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin met in Moscow, Russia, from July 8-9 to discuss bilateral relations and mutual areas of cooperation, including trade, energy and technology, The Times of India reported on July 10.

India, Russia: Modi and Putin To Boost Bilateral Trade

Assessments

Kenya

South Africa

Venezuela

Israel

Palestinian Territories

Saudi Arabia

Europe

U.S. President Joe Biden speaks during a press conference at the 75th NATO Summit in Washington, D.C., on July 11, 2024. 

Israel-Hamas Conflict

U.S.-China Relations

U.S.-Iran Relations

Biden's exit from the U.S. presidential race will free him to pursue more aggressive action against Russia over Ukraine and increase pressure on Israel to end its war with Hamas. 

What To Expect from Biden's Foreign Policy Farewell Tour

Japan

France

A banner reading "public services in danger, let's vote" on July 5 in Paris.

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

The Weekly Rundown: French Legislative Runoffs, a NATO Summit in Washington

Snapshots

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi (R) greets Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) before a meeting at Hyderabad House in New Delhi, India, on Dec. 6, 2021.

Modi's upcoming talks with Putin highlight strong India-Russia ties and may lead to a final agreement on expanded defense cooperation and military exchanges.

Modi's Visit to Moscow Spotlights Strong India-Russia Ties

Brazil

Egypt

United Arab Emirates

A map illustrating Turkey (in red) and the BRICS countries (in blue).

Joining BRICS would underscore Turkey's balancing act between the West and the Global South, but the organization's weaknesses will limit its potential for economic growth.

For Turkey, BRICS Is Far From a Political and Economic Panacea

Vietnam

Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) and Vietnamese President To Lam attend an event in Hanoi, Vietnam, on June 20, 2024. 

Russia and Vietnam agreed to collaborate on various energy projects, including in the contested South China Sea, but reviving their defense industrial relationship will prove more challenging.

Putin's Trip to Vietnam Yields Energy Deals, but Defense Cooperation Will Remain Constrained

North Korea

Portraits of Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un are displayed in Pyongyang, North Korea, for Putin's visit to the country on June 20, 2024. 

Russia's deepening ties with North Korea are meant to draw U.S. attention and resources away from Ukraine by increasing the threat of conflict in another region.

The Significance of Russia and North Korea's New Defense Pact

A graph of the ruble exchange rate against the background of the Russian flag and paper banknotes. 

A new U.S. sanctions package on Russia raises risks of secondary sanctions for financial institutions around the world, leading more companies to cut off ties to Russian entities.

With a New Sanctions Package, the U.S. Squeezes Russian Trade

Italy

Voters on June 6 in The Hague, the first day of the election for the European Parliament. In a vote that will shape the political direction and strategic priorities of the bloc for the next five years, elections for the European Parliament run from June 6-9.

Global Elections

The Weekly Rundown: BRICS Foreign Ministers Meet, European Parliamentary Elections

Media

Podcasts

How might this trend of sabotage incidents evolve?

Essential Geopolitics: Global Implications of Russia's Sabotage Campaign

Uzbekistan

Tajikistan

Afghanistan

Pakistan

A delegation of Afghan Taliban officials walks down a hotel lobby in Doha, Qatar, in August 2021. 

A combination of security considerations and economic opportunities will continue to ease the Afghan Taliban's international isolation in the years ahead, but many countries will remain wary of close relations with the group or its formal recognition.

The Afghan Taliban's International Isolation Appears To Be Easing

South Korea

Taiwan

While President Biden would be expected to continue to build and strengthen alliances with America's key allies in the northern Asian region, the reelection of President Trump could spur those same allies to look beyond the U.S. for their physical and economic security.

The 2024 U.S. Presidential Elections, Northern Asia and Geopolitical Risk: What to Expect

Ukrainian soldiers fire at a Russian position in Ukraine's Kharkiv region on April 21, 2024. 

While initially intended to draw Ukrainian resources away from the Donbas region, Russia's new front in the northeastern Kharkiv region will likely become core to Moscow's war efforts in 2025.

Russia's New Front in Kharkiv Raises the Stakes for Ukraine and the West

<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., Canada: Russian and Chinese Warplanes Intercepted Off Alaska

Russia: Duma To Adopt Laws on Crypto for Foreign Transactions and Cryptomining

Sudan: RSF Advances in White Nile and Sennar States

Ukraine, China: Ukraine's Foreign Minister Visits China for First Time Since Start of War

Togo: Al Qaeda Affiliate Launches Large-Scale Attack on Northern Military Outpost

Russia: Government Commences Slowdown of YouTube

U.S., Russia, Germany: U.S. To Deploy Intermediate-Range Missiles in Germany

India, Russia: Modi and Putin To Boost Bilateral Trade

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