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Russia-Ukraine Conflict

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the bloc will provide Ukraine with roughly 5 billion euros ($5.7 billion) to help Kyiv acquire two-thirds of the two million artillery rounds it requested in March, Bloomberg reported on April 14.

Ukraine: EU To Help Ukraine Acquire Artillery, Germany Offers Taurus Missiles to Kyiv 

United States

Politics

U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff met with Russian President Vladimir Putin for four-and-a-half hours during a visit to St. Petersburg, during which the two discussed the Russia-Ukraine war, Russian state media outlet RIA Novosti reported on April 11.

Russia, U.S.: U.S. Envoy Meets With Putin as Trump Urges Russian Progress Toward Ceasefire

Defense ministers from some 30 European countries met in Brussels, Belgium, to discuss ways to secure Ukraine following a possible ceasefire with Russia, AP reported on April 10.

Europe: Ukraine's Allies Discuss Security Guarantees That Would Follow Ceasefire

Russian and U.S. officials released separate statements on April 10 saying they made progress on normalizing the operations of each other's diplomatic missions and resuming direct flights. 

Russia, U.S.: Officials Convey Progress in Normalizing Diplomatic Missions Following Prisoner Exchange

Alexey Yakovlev, the head of the financial policy department in Russia's Ministry of Finance, confirmed to reporters that the ministry had drafted requirements for foreign companies to return to the Russian market, TASS reported on April 10.

Russia: Kremlin Prepares Draft Requirements for Foreign Companies To Return

On April 7, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed for the first time that Ukrainian forces were operating in Russia's Belgorod region, the Moscow Times reported April 8.

Ukraine, Russia: Zelensky Confirms Incursion Into Russia's Belgorod Region

Russia's special envoy on economic cooperation, Kirill Dmitriev, said there was a ''positive dynamic'' in U.S.-Russia relations after he held talks with U.S. officials, including U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, in Washington on April 2-3, Reuters reported April 4.

Russia, U.S.: Russian Envoy Praises 'Positive Dynamic' Following Talks in Washington 

Burkina Faso

Mali

Niger

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced Russia's plans to further support the junta governments in Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso by training troops, providing military equipment and assisting in the creation of a joint armed force, Bloomberg reported April 3.

Sub-Saharan Africa: Russia To Increase Military Support to Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso

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Azerbaijan

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

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

2025 Second-Quarter Forecast Webcast

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On Geopolitics

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

Turkey

South Korea

France

United Kingdom

People wave flags and chant slogans during a protest in front of the municipality headquarters in support of arrested Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu on March 19, 2025, in Istanbul, Turkey. 

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. To Announce Tariffs, Protests in Turkey Rage On

Brazil

Lebanon

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U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio (L) and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a joint press conference Feb. 16 at the prime minister's office in Jerusalem. Senior Israeli officials from the security and intelligence ministries will visit the United States to discuss Iran's nuclear program and Israeli border demarcation talks with Lebanon.

The Weekly Rundown: The U.S. and Israel Coordinate on Iran, the U.K. Chancellor Seeks Fiscal Discipline

Podcasts

How will these changes affect European countries?


Essential Geopolitics: The United States' Evolving Relationship With Russia

Ethiopia

Reichstag in Berlin with flags.

The Weekly Rundown: U.S.-Russia Contacts on a Ukraine Ceasefire, a Vote on Reforming Germany’s Debt Brake

Snapshots

While a ceasefire appears increasingly likely, Russia will likely delay a deal to secure more concessions related to Western military support, a potential peacekeeping force in Ukraine, and Kyiv's NATO aspirations.

How Will Russia Respond to the U.S.-Proposed Ceasefire in Ukraine?

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Serbia

Milorad Dodik, leader of the most influential political party in the Bosnian-Serb dominated entity of Republika Srpska, on Oct. 27, 2022.

The arrest will test Bosnia's fragile institutional order amid rising regional and global instability, fueling concerns of a potential spillover of unrest across the Western Balkans.

The Arrest of a Serbian Official Puts Bosnian -- and Regional -- Stability to the Test

A photo taken on Jan. 15, 2025, shows a muddy track running through a forest in Sumy, Ukraine, that Ukrainian soldiers use to transport American Stryker armored fighting vehicles during Ukraine's ongoing cross-border operation into Russia's Kursk region.

Intensified Russian attacks will likely soon force Ukrainian troops to exit Russia's Kursk border region, which could make Moscow more open to ceasefire talks by weakening Kyiv's negotiating leverage.

Ukraine's Withdrawal From Kursk Appears Imminent Amid Russian Advances

U.S. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan and National Security Advisor Mosaad bin Mohammad al-Aiban, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, Ukrainian Head of Presidential Office Andriy Yermak and Ukrainian Minister of Defense Rustem Umerovto attend a meeting between the US and Ukraine hosted by the Saudis on March 11, 2025 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Ukraine has agreed to a U.S.-backed 30-day ceasefire with Russia, but its success depends on Moscow's acceptance and broader unresolved issues.

Temporary Truce in Sight? U.S. and Ukraine Push for 30-Day Ceasefire with Russia

A digital map illustration of Russia.

The White House believes that restoring ties with Moscow will help it negotiate a ceasefire in Ukraine and, more importantly, undermine Russia-China relations in the long run. But numerous potential pitfalls mean this approach is unlikely to pay off.

The Rationale and Risks of Trump's Push to Reengage With Russia

<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

Ukraine: EU To Help Ukraine Acquire Artillery, Germany Offers Taurus Missiles to Kyiv

Russia, U.S.: U.S. Envoy Meets With Putin as Trump Urges Russian Progress Toward Ceasefire

Europe: Ukraine's Allies Discuss Security Guarantees That Would Follow Ceasefire

Russia, U.S.: Officials Convey Progress in Normalizing Diplomatic Missions Following Prisoner Exchange

Russia: Kremlin Prepares Draft Requirements for Foreign Companies To Return

Ukraine, Russia: Zelensky Confirms Incursion Into Russia's Belgorod Region

Russia, U.S.: Russian Envoy Praises 'Positive Dynamic' Following Talks in Washington

Sub-Saharan Africa: Russia To Increase Military Support to Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso

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