Lithuania

Finland

Latvia

Estonia

Poland

Belarus

Russia

Military & Security

Finland will close its last remaining open border crossing with Russia for at least two weeks following an uptick in illegal migration attempts that Finnish officials say Russia is facilitating in order to destabilize the country after joining NATO earlier this year, AP reported Nov. 29. 

Finland, Russia: Finland Closes Entire Border With Russia Over Migrant Concerns

Politics

Polish President Andrzej Duda will announce on the evening of Nov. 6 whom he will appoint as a candidate prime minister tasked with forming a government following parliamentary elections on Oct. 15, Reuters reported on Nov. 6.

Poland: President to Appoint Candidate Prime Minister Tasked With Forming Government

Ukraine

Economics

Polish truckers announced that they will stage a protest starting Nov. 6 against concessions given to Ukrainian competitors to operate in the EU single market since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war in 2022, Reuters reported on Nov. 3.

Poland, Ukraine: Polish Truckers' Protest to Block Border Crossings With Ukraine

Poland and Ukraine agreed to speed up the transit of Ukrainian cereal exports destined for third countries through Poland, Euractiv reported on Oct. 3.

Poland, Ukraine: Ukraine to Accelerate Transit of Grain Exports Through Poland

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Sept. 20 that Poland is no longer delivering weapons to Ukraine, as it is instead focused on rebuilding its own stocks, Reuters reported the next day.

Poland, Ukraine: Warsaw Signals End to Military Aid to Ukraine Ahead of Key Election

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki announced plans to raise the country's minimum wage by 18%, reaching 4,242 zlotys ($983) in January 2024 and then 4,300 zlotys from July, Bloomberg reported on Sept. 14.

Poland: Government Announces Minimum Wage Rise Ahead of General Elections

Europe

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki announced that Poland will extend its ban on Ukrainian grain imports beyond the European Union's Sept. 15 deadline, regardless of what the European Commission decides, Politico reported on Sept. 12.

Poland, Ukraine, EU: Warsaw to Unilaterally Extend Ukrainian Grain Import Ban

Poland, Lithuania and Latvia said they will close their borders with Belarus completely if a "critical incident" involving Russian Wagner mercenaries or Belarusian troops occurs, Reuters reported on Aug. 28.

Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Belarus: Poland and Baltics Threaten to Shut Belarusian Border

Snapshots

Posters for parliamentary candidates ahead of Poland's Oct. 10, 2023, election in Lodz, Poland.

A new centrist government would significantly improve relations with the European Union, allowing the country to continue playing an increasingly central role in the bloc.

Parliamentary Elections May Move Poland Closer to Brussels

Assessments

Ecuador

Israel

Palestinian Territories

New Zealand

Israeli army Merkava battle tanks deploy Oct. 13, 2023, with the Gaza Strip in southern Israel. An invasion will greatly exacerbate the hardships caused by Israel's total siege of the strip, creating a humanitarian crisis that could cause Egypt to use force to ensure that Palestinian refugees do not enter Sinai.

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 Gaza Ground Invasion, a Parliamentary Election in Poland

United States

Luxembourg

Malta

Germany

Czech Republic

Denmark

Greece

France

Sweden

Belgium

Portugal

Cyprus

Austria

Slovakia

Slovenia

Netherlands

Spain

Italy

Hungary

Rail cars loaded with steel sit at the ThyssenKrupp Schwelgern steel plant on May 30, 2018 in Duisburg, Germany. 

The European Union and the United States will increase efforts to deconflict their trade and climate policies ahead of the upcoming U.S. presidential and EU parliamentary elections, but lingering disagreements will not allow for a complete respite of Trump-era tariffs on EU steel and aluminum.

EU-U.S. Steel and Aluminum Negotiations Make Limited Headway

Solar panels on Aug. 9, 2023, in Neuss, Germany.

Environment, Science & Technology

Science & Technology

Resistance to environmental initiatives in Europe will likely continue beyond the 2024 EU elections, portending less ambitious climate targets and greater protectionism.

Europe Faces a Less Ambitious Environmental Agenda

A woman sits by the entrance to the GUM department store in central Minsk on February 14, 2023.

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Though Belarus is showing economic recovery in the short term, a number of structural issues will undermine its long-term growth prospects.

Belarus' Tentative Recovery Won’t Ensure Future Growth -– Or Kick-Start the Opposition

Niger

Argentina

China

Taiwan

A political demonstration on June 20, 2023, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

U.S.-China Relations

The Weekly Rundown: Argentine Primary Elections, the Possible ECOWAS Intervention in Niger

Romania

A Polish soldier stands by anti-tank obstacles by the metal wall constructed at the Belarussian border in Bialowieza, Poland, on July 08, 2023. 

In Romania's case, Russian aggression is more likely to occur by accident. But in Poland, such aggression would have higher chance of escalation because it'd likely be by design.

Russia's Activities Near Romania and Poland Risk Sparking Another NATO Crisis

Polish President Andrzej Duda speaks during a press conference in April 14, 2023. 

To gin up support, the nationalist government will pursue more hawkish policies on issues ranging from migration to Ukrainian food imports, raising the risk of additional EU sanctions.

In Poland, Political Tensions Rise Ahead of Elections

People wave EU and Polish flags during an anti-government rally organized by the opposition in Warsaw, Poland, on June 4, 2023. 

The government will enact controversial policies to repress the opposition ahead of the ballot this fall, but fears of losing crucial U.S. aid will deter Warsaw from taking an overly authoritarian turn.

Poland Is Set for a Turbulent Pre-Election Period

Saudi Arabia

India

National security adviser Jake Sullivan on June 2 in Washington. Sullivan on June 13 will meet with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi ahead of Modi's June 22 visit to the United States.

The Weekly Rundown: Jake Sullivan Visits India, an Arab-China Business Conference

Nigeria

Russian President Vladimir Putin gives a speech at the Kremlin in Moscow on Sept. 30, 2022. 

The Weekly Rundown: Putin Gives a Speech, Biden Visits Poland as Ukraine War Hits One Year

United Kingdom

A Leopard 2 A6 heavy battle tank participates in a demonstration of capabilities during a visit by German Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht to the Bundeswehr Army training grounds on Feb. 7, 2022, in Munster, Germany. 

The impending easing of the West's restrictions on tank deliveries could set a precedent that sees Kyiv secure more equipment it needs to continue resisting Russia's invasion.

For Ukraine, a Deal to Supply Western Tanks Could Unlock More Advanced Weapons

<p>Poland sits at the crossroads of Eastern and Western Europe. Located on the Northern European Plain, the country has a largely flat terrain with few geographic barriers &mdash; with the exception of the Baltic Sea to the north and the Carpathian Mountains in the extreme south. From the 15th to the 18th century, Poland was among the largest and most influential states in Europe. As the leading power of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Poland controlled territory that includes modern day Belarus, Ukraine, the Baltic states, and parts of western Russia. However, the emergence of Germanic powers to the west and Russia to the east proved disastrous for Poland, as the country was partitioned between the Russian, Prussian, and Austrian Empires at the end of the 18th century. Poland was then the setting of numerous wars for influence among European powers, proving a key battleground during World War I and II before being swept into the Soviet bloc during the Cold War. Poland returned to the Western fold once the Soviet Union collapsed, with the country joining NATO in 1999 and the European Union in 2004. Since then, Poland &mdash; with its demographic and industrial core in Warsaw &mdash; has been one of the most economically dynamic countries of the former Eastern bloc. The current crisis in Ukraine, as well as Poland&#39;s continued fear of Russia, has made Warsaw a pivotal player in the standoff between Moscow and the West. The country has sought to strengthen the presence of NATO on its territory and is a key part of the bloc&#39;s ballistic missile defense program. Poland has also sought to bring key countries in the former Soviet periphery, most notably Ukraine, closer to the West. Using these strategies to maintain territorial integrity is Poland&rsquo;s primary geographic challenge.</p>

SITUATION REPORTS

Finland, Russia: Finland Closes Entire Border With Russia Over Migrant Concerns

Poland: President to Appoint Candidate Prime Minister Tasked With Forming Government

Poland, Ukraine: Polish Truckers' Protest to Block Border Crossings With Ukraine

Poland, Ukraine: Ukraine to Accelerate Transit of Grain Exports Through Poland

Poland, Ukraine: Warsaw Signals End to Military Aid to Ukraine Ahead of Key Election

Poland: Government Announces Minimum Wage Rise Ahead of General Elections

Poland, Ukraine, EU: Warsaw to Unilaterally Extend Ukrainian Grain Import Ban

Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Belarus: Poland and Baltics Threaten to Shut Belarusian Border

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