Ukraine

Politics

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky formally submited a draft bill to parliament that would repeal the July 22 amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code subordinating the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office to the prosecutor general, BBC reported on July 24.

Ukraine: New Bill To Reverse Anti-Corruption Rollback, but Leaves Prosecutorial Leverage Intact

Russia

Military & Security

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Negotiators from Russia and Ukraine met in Istanbul, Turkey, for their third round of direct talks, during which envoys agreed to exchange captured and deceased people, though there are conflicting reports about precise numbers, Bloomberg reported on July 23.

Russia, Ukraine: Envoys Meet for Third Time but Make Little Progress

France

Economics

Following meetings in Kyiv with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot announced that French companies will begin manufacturing drones in Ukraine, Euractiv reported on July 21. 

France, Ukraine: Paris Announces Agreement To Manufacture Drones on Ukrainian Soil

The third meeting between Russia and Ukraine will occur "at the end of this week," Russia's TASS agency reported on July 21, citing an undisclosed source. 

Russia, Ukraine: Third Round of Negotiations Expected the Week of July 21

United States

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russia "continues to analyze" U.S. President Donald Trump's threat to impose a 100% tariff on countries purchasing Russian oil unless Moscow agrees to a peace deal with Kyiv by early September, Reuters reported on July 17.

Russia, Ukraine: Russia 'Continues To Analyze' Trump's Sanctions Threat

North Korea

Environment, Science & Technology

Science & Technology

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and received a public pledge of "unconditional support" for Russia's actions in Ukraine, Yonhap reported on July 13.

North Korea, Russia: Lavrov Secures Pyongyang's Open-Ended Support for Ukraine War

U.S. President Donald Trump said the United States would send "really massive numbers of military equipment, both for air defence, but also missiles, ammunition" to Ukraine, paid for by Ukraine's European allies, The Guardian reported on July 14.

U.S., Ukraine: U.S. To Send 'Massive' Numbers of Military Equipment to Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that he proposed First Deputy Prime Minister and Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko as the next prime minister, The Kyiv Independent reported on July 14.

Ukraine: Zelensky Appoints Economy Minister as New Prime Minister

Assessments

Europe

A protester holds a Ukrainian flag in downtown Kyiv on July 22, 2025, during a demonstration calling for President Volodymyr Zelensky to veto a law that reduces the powers of Ukraine's anti-corruption agencies.

A new law placing Ukraine's two anti-corruption agencies under executive control raises the risk of further protests that could destabilize Zelensky's government and undermine its war effort.

In Ukraine, a Controversial Law Fuels Protests and Corruption Concerns

Australia

China

Germany

United Kingdom

U.S. President Donald Trump on April 24 in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington. In an interview July 10, U.S. President Donald Trump suggested he would "have a major statement to make on Russia on Monday," perhaps representing a shift in his administration's policy.

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

The Weekly Rundown: Trump Speaks on Ukraine, Sweeping EU Budget Reform

Snapshots

A Ukrainian soldier works on an AN/TWQ-1 Avenger anti-aircraft missile system on Nov. 28, 2023, in Kyiv, Ukraine. 

Despite Trump's impatience with Russia's failure to de-escalate in Ukraine, the White House is highly unlikely to dramatically ramp up pressure in a way that significantly alters the Kremlin's calculus.

What Trump's Growing Frustration With Russia Means for U.S. Policy

A Ukrainian soldier works on an Avenger AN/TWQ-1 anti-aircraft missile system on Nov. 28, 2023, in Kyiv, Ukraine.

Without new supplies of U.S. Patriot interceptors and precision-guided munitions, Ukraine will struggle to defend against Russia's escalating aerial attacks, which could eventually force it into an unfavorable peace deal.

Ukraine Grapples With a Freeze on U.S. Weapons Deliveries

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Rwanda

Iran

Israel

Israeli air defense systems are activated to intercept Iranian missiles over the Israeli city of Tel Aviv early on June 18, 2025. 

The Weekly Rundown: Israel-Iran Conflict Rages On, NATO Holds Annual Summit

Canada

Japan

Italy

An image shows a row of flags from the G7 members.

Global Trade

The June 15-17 summit will provide an opportunity for the bloc to discuss trade tensions and the war in Ukraine, but the meeting is more likely to expose transatlantic divisions over Trump's tariffs and reluctance to pressure Russia.

What To Expect From the First G7 Summit Following Trump's Return to the White House

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. 

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

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

Columns

On Geopolitics

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

Drag-line excavator mines rare earth materials on Ukrainian soil on Feb. 25, 2025, in the Zhytomyr region of Ukraine. 

A new U.S.-Ukraine economic deal offers Washington a long-term stake in Ukraine's critical resources -- and a potential lever in ceasefire diplomacy.

New Strategic Pact Gives U.S. Stake in Ukraine's Economic Future

India

Pakistan

Indian soldiers stand guard atop their vehicle in Srinagar, India, on April 23, 2025, following a deadly militant attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir.

U.S.-Iran Relations

The Weekly Rundown: Escalating Pakistan-India Tensions, Canadian Elections and Pope Francis' Funeral

<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>

SITUATION REPORTS

Ukraine: New Bill To Reverse Anti-Corruption Rollback, but Leaves Prosecutorial Leverage Intact

Russia, Ukraine: Envoys Meet for Third Time but Make Little Progress

France, Ukraine: Paris Announces Agreement To Manufacture Drones on Ukrainian Soil

Russia, Ukraine: Third Round of Negotiations Expected the Week of July 21

Russia, Ukraine: Russia 'Continues To Analyze' Trump's Sanctions Threat

North Korea, Russia: Lavrov Secures Pyongyang's Open-Ended Support for Ukraine War

U.S., Ukraine: U.S. To Send 'Massive' Numbers of Military Equipment to Ukraine

Ukraine: Zelensky Appoints Economy Minister as New Prime Minister

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