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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

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

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

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.

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

Podcasts

Will the leaked documents affect the Russia-Ukraine war?

Essential Geopolitics: Insights Into the Recent U.S. Intelligence Leak on the Russia-Ukraine War

What does Xi's visit to Russia say about the trajectory of Russia-China relations?

Essential Geopolitics: China's Growing Russia-Ukraine Involvement

Russian President Vladimir Putin (right) meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Kremlin in Moscow on March 20, 2023. 

The Chinese leader's latest trip to Moscow and meeting with Putin confirm Beijing's desire to position itself as a viable mediator in Ukraine, as well as Russia's desire to freeze the war along current battle lines.

What to Make of Xi's Russia Trip and China's Growing Involvement in Ukraine

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On Geopolitics

Europe

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks to Chinese President Xi Jinping during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) leaders' summit on Sept. 16, 2022. 

Economics

As China considers providing military aid to Russia for its war in Ukraine, Beijing will weigh various historical, economic and political factors.

A Cost-Benefit Analysis of China Providing Military Aid to Russia, Part 2

U.S.-China Relations

A Chinese battle tank competes in a tank biathlon event held by the Russian military on Aug. 27, 2022, outside of Moscow, Russia. 

The U.S. claims Beijing is ''strongly considering'' providing Moscow lethal aid in Ukraine -- a move that would have sweeping consequences for not only the war, but China's development and its relations with the West.

A Cost-Benefit Analysis of China Providing Military Aid to Russia, Part 1

Germany

A floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) is pictured behind a container painted with a map showing the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline in Lubmin, northeastern Germany, on Jan. 14, 2023. 

Energy

Reports that Ukrainians, not Russians, attacked the pipelines in September risk undermining Western support for Kyiv -- especially if Zelensky's government is directly implicated.

New Revelations About the Nord Stream Attacks Put Ukraine in Hot Water

Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers his annual state of the nation address at the Gostiny Dvor conference center in Moscow, Russia, on Feb. 21, 2023. 

Over the past year, the Ukraine invasion has morphed into a costly and prolonged war that reflects Putin and his allies' perception of the world and Russia's place in it.

The Ukraine War's Impact on Russia, One Year On

What are the implications of shifting levels of Russian influence?

Applied Geopolitics: The Shifting Geopolitical Balance Along the Russian Frontiers

South Korea

South Korea will reportedly send hundreds of thousands of unitary artillery rounds to the United States, which will then send them to Ukraine, according to The Wall Street Journal on May 25.

South Korea: Seoul Reportedly to Send Munitions to Ukraine via U.S.

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

Ukraine now hopes to have U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets flying as early as the fall of 2023, following U.S. agreement to allow third countries to transfer the aircraft, The Washington Post reported on May 19.

Ukraine: Coalition Forms to Supply F-16s to Ukraine

The Russian Volunteer Corps and Free Russia Legion conducted a raid into the Belgorod region of Russia, temporarily occupying the border checkpoint Grayvoron and the village of Kozinka, the Moscow Times reported on May 22.

Russia, Ukraine: Anti-Putin Volunteer Groups Conduct Larger Raid Into Russia

Chinese ambassador Li Hui met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky separately during his visit to the country for talks with Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and other Ukrainian officials regarding negotiating a cease-fire to the Russia-Ukraine war, Bloomberg reported on May 18. 

Ukraine, China: High-Level Meeting Makes Little Impact

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced an extension of the Black Sea grain deal, and Russia and Ukraine confirmed the extension, Reuters reported on May 17.

Ukraine, Russia: Black Sea Grain Deal Extended for Two Months

A Russian missile barrage on Kyiv, Ukraine, likely damaged a Patriot anti-air system, CNN reported on May 16.

Russia, Ukraine: U.S. Confirms Damage to Patriot System in Russian Strike on Kyiv

The Ukrainian ambassador to Turkey confirmed that negotiations on renewing the Black Sea grain deal, which Russia claims will expire on May 18, would occur in the coming days, adding that he believes there is a chance to renew the agreement, RIA Novosti reported May 16.

Ukraine, Russia: Black Sea Grain Deal Negotiations Continue as Deadline Nears

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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.

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<p>Ukraine is the quintessential borderland state. The country borders three former Soviet states (Russia, Belarus and Moldova) and four countries in the European Union (Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania). Ukraine also has a coastline along the Black Sea to the south. Ukraine sits on the Northern European Plain, the area that has historically served as an invasion superhighway going east and west. Beyond its strategic location, Ukraine&#39;s geography has only facilitated such invasions. The country consists of flat and fertile plains, with the exception of the Carpathian Mountain range that arches into the far west of the country. But even these mountains can be penetrated and have not posed a significant barrier to invasion. Given such lack of barriers, Ukraine&#39;s wide-open geography is inextricably linked to that of Russia. Ukraine&#39;s agricultural and industrial belts have traditionally been integrated with Russia&#39;s, and Ukraine serves as the primary transit state for Russian energy exports to Europe. Due to its location and abundance of agricultural and mineral resources, Ukraine has been contested between regional powers for centuries. This competition is currently playing out in an extreme form today, with a Western-backed government confronting a Russian-backed uprising in eastern Ukraine. Further complicating the situation is the fact that Ukraine has several population and political cores, including Lviv in the west, Kiev in the center and the eastern cities of Donetsk and Luhansk. These different cores make administering Ukraine difficult. The current crisis in Ukraine is therefore merely the latest iteration of the country&#39;s internal divisions and the long-standing East-West conflict over the country. Maintaining sovereignty and unity in the face of this competition is Ukraine&#39;s primary geographic challenge.</p>

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

SITUATION REPORTS

South Korea: Seoul Reportedly to Send Munitions to Ukraine via U.S.

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

Ukraine: Coalition Forms to Supply F-16s to Ukraine

Russia, Ukraine: Anti-Putin Volunteer Groups Conduct Larger Raid Into Russia

Ukraine, China: High-Level Meeting Makes Little Impact

Ukraine, Russia: Black Sea Grain Deal Extended for Two Months

Russia, Ukraine: U.S. Confirms Damage to Patriot System in Russian Strike on Kyiv

Ukraine, Russia: Black Sea Grain Deal Negotiations Continue as Deadline Nears

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