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A natural gas-powered stove Nov. 03, 2021, in Berlin. France will host a meeting of EU energy ministers on May 2 to discuss how to deal with Russia's decision to halt natural gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria. 

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Energy

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

The Weekly Rundown: European Governments Discuss the Energy Crisis, Malaysia Increases Its Minimum Wage

The Ukraine Conflict

Europe

Germany

Italy

The logo of Russia's energy giant Gazprom is seen at a gas station in Sofia, Bulgaria, on April 27, 2022. 

Economics

Politics

Military & Security

European Disintegration

By cutting off exports to Bulgaria and Poland, Moscow is hoping to drive a wedge between EU countries over their willingness to sanction Russian oil and pay for gas using rubles.

In Bulgaria and Poland, Russia Shows Its Willingness to Weaponize Europe's Gas Supplies

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A satellite image shows Europe at night.

The U.S. and the Balance of Power

The move shows the White House remains committed to its security and economic engagements in the region, with an eye on countering China and Russia. 

The U.S. Ramps Up Financial Support to Central and Eastern Europe

EU: Regional Blocs

The New Silk Road

Divided EU Foreign Policies

2020 Second-Quarter Forecast

Europe is a continent riven by pockets of distinct cultures whose differences are all too often irreconcilable.

<p>To the west of Eurasia lays Europe, a region predisposed to division. It is surrounded on nearly all sides by islands and peninsulas that make it difficult for Europe to cohere. The northern half of the continent, moreover, sits on a plain whose short, meandering rivers tend to empower countries without forcing them to work with others. The southern half is situated on more mountainous terrain that has historically impeded the creation of strong, unified economies. As a result, Europe is a continent riven by pockets of distinct cultures whose differences are all too often irreconcilable.</p>

Uganda

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Relatives of the five Israeli victims of a suicide blast that targeted a bus of tourists in Bulgaria mourn in Sofia on Aug. 28, 2012.

Stratfor Threat Lens

Recent history indicates that despite its global networks and ambitions, Iran is a far more formidable threat closer to home. 

Iran Will Find Retaliating Against the U.S. Easier in the Middle East

U.S.-Iran Relations

Iran's Arc of Influence

2020 Annual Forecast

2019 Fourth-Quarter Forecast

2019 Third-Quarter Forecast

2019 Second-Quarter Forecast

2019 Annual Forecast

2018 Fourth-Quarter Forecast

2018 Second-Quarter Forecast

Malta

Social Issues

European Union ministers agreed on a deal to overhaul the bloc's migration and asylum policies for the first time in years, Reuters reported on June 8.

EU: EU Members Strike Major Deal on Migration and Asylum Rules

Bulgaria's Energy Ministry is preparing an arbitration claim against Russian state-owned gas giant Gazprom for suspending natural gas deliveries last April when Sofia rejected Moscow's demand to pay for supplies in Russian rubles, Bulgarian news outlet Trud reported June 7.

Bulgaria: Sofia to Sue Gazprom Over Breach of Contract 

Bulgaria's center-right GERB party and the pro-Western anti-corruption alliance led by We Continue the Change and Democratic Bulgaria agreed to form a grand coalition government led by two rotating prime ministers for the next 18 months, Reuters reported on May 22.

Bulgaria: Largest Parties Agree to Form Coalition Government, Ending Two Years of Political Deadlock

Ukraine

The governments of Poland and Hungary announced bans on grain and other food imports from Ukraine to protect local producers on April 15, the Financial Times reported April 16.

Europe: Poland and Hungary Announce Bans on Ukrainian Agri-Food Exports, Bulgaria and Slovakia to Follow

A bloc led by former Prime Minister Boyko Borissov's center-right GERB party won a narrow majority in Bulgaria's fifth election in two years, securing 26.5% of the vote ahead of former Prime Minister Kiril Petkov's pro-West reformist We Continue the Change party, which won 25%, Reuters reported on April 3.

Bulgaria: Fifth Inconclusive Election Opens Door to Difficult Coalition Talks

Bulgaria's President Rumen Radev dissolved the National Assembly, called for an early general election to be held on April 2, and appointed a new interim government headed by current caretaker Prime Minister Galab Donev, Politico reported Feb. 2.

Bulgaria: Country to Hold Fifth Election in Two Years on April 2

The interior ministers of the European Union member states voted to include Croatia in the bloc's passport-free travel zone, the Schengen area, but Austria and the Netherlands blocked the accession of Romania and Bulgaria, Euronews reported Dec. 8.

EU: Bloc Includes Croatia in Schengen Area, Blocks Romania and Bulgaria

Bulgaria's interim Energy Minister Rosen Hristov said it was "inevitable" that the government would enter negotiations with Gazprom to resume natural gas deliveries, Reuters reported Aug. 22.

Bulgaria: Interim Government to Negotiate With Gazprom Over Resuming Natural Gas Supplies

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A view of the Register in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

Angola

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Bahrain

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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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.

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Mir Castle in the Minsk region of Belarus.

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A horse grazes in front of Kara-Kul lake in the Chon-Ak-Suu valley, 300 kilometers southeast of Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan.

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Qatar

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Eritrea

Grenada

Mongolia

Bulgaria, bordering Greece, Turkey, Macedonia, Serbia and Romania, sits on the southeastern end of the Balkan Peninsula. Its northern border generally follows the Danube River as it makes its final descent to the Black Sea, and the Rhodope Mountains shape its southern border. The Balkan Mountains dominate Bulgaria's interior, dividing the country in two as they traverse from west to east. The highly fertile Danubian Plain lies north of the Balkans, while the Thracian Plain lies to its south.    In ancient times, the Thracians, Greeks, Persians and Romans settled in what is now Bulgaria. The First Bulgarian Empire emerged in 681 AD, to be followed by the Second Bulgarian Empire in the 12th century. After the fall of this second empire in the late 14th century, Bulgaria came under Ottoman dominance for the next five centuries. Bulgaria regained independence in the 1870s with help from Russia, creating created close ties between the two nations. However, conflict marked the decades that followed independence, including two Balkan wars and World Wars I and II. After the Second World War, Bulgaria became a communist state within the Soviet orbit.    With the end of the Cold War, Bulgaria joined NATO in 2004 and the European Union in 2007, moves accompanied by economic and institutional modernization and the arrival of foreign direct investment. But significant waves of emigration from the country also followed; Bulgaria’s population, which was about 9 million in 1986, had dropped to 7 million by 2016. While the Bulgarian economy has grown significantly since its communist days, it remains the poorest member of the European Union in terms of gross domestic product per capita.     Bulgaria has strong trade ties with both the European Union and Turkey, and Russian natural gas accounts for a significant part of its domestic supply. Bulgaria’s main challenge is to balance the bigger powers around it in a region where external threats have been frequent.

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Ireland

A production line at factory Dec. 12, 2022, in Bierne, France.

Targeted EU Protectionism and Partial Cooperation With the U.S.

High EU Protectionism and High Cooperation With the U.S.

High EU Protectionism and No Cooperation With the U.S.

Fragmented EU Protectionism and Haphazard Coordination With the U.S.

Reduced EU Protectionism and Moderate Cooperation With the U.S.

How Will EU Industrial Policy Evolve Through Mid-2024?

Science & Technology

The Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) did not secure the support of Bulgaria's populist There Is Such A People (ITN) party in the National Assembly, which prevented the BSP from attaining a majority in parliament and stymied its effort to form a new coalition government following the ousting of former Prime Minister Kiril Petkov on June 22, Reuters reported July 27. 

Bulgaria: Failed Attempts to Form New Government Presage Early Elections

SITUATION REPORTS

EU: EU Members Strike Major Deal on Migration and Asylum Rules

Bulgaria: Sofia to Sue Gazprom Over Breach of Contract

Bulgaria: Largest Parties Agree to Form Coalition Government, Ending Two Years of Political Deadlock

Europe: Poland and Hungary Announce Bans on Ukrainian Agri-Food Exports, Bulgaria and Slovakia to Follow

Bulgaria: Fifth Inconclusive Election Opens Door to Difficult Coalition Talks

Bulgaria: Country to Hold Fifth Election in Two Years on April 2

EU: Bloc Includes Croatia in Schengen Area, Blocks Romania and Bulgaria

Bulgaria: Interim Government to Negotiate With Gazprom Over Resuming Natural Gas Supplies

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