Ukraine

Russia

Military & Security

Politics

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky publicly outlined the 20 points of Ukraine's draft peace plan, RBC-Ukraine reported on Dec. 24.

Ukraine: Zelensky Details 20-Point Peace Plan, Eyes Conditional Referendum

Cambodia

Thailand

Military officials from Thailand and Cambodia began secretariat-level talks in Thailand's Chantaburi province, with a possible defense minister-level meeting scheduled for Dec. 27 if technical frameworks are agreed upon, Channel News Asia reported Dec. 24.

Thailand, Cambodia: Ceasefire Talks Resume Under Thai Preconditions

Burkina Faso

Mali

Niger

Interim Burkina Faso leader Capt. Ibrahim Traore pledged large-scale joint military operations against armed groups across the Sahel in the coming days in his new role as head of the Alliance of Sahel States, Al Jazeera reported Dec. 24.

Sahel: Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger Announce Large-scale Counterterrorism Operations

In a rare video message released Dec. 22, influential Malian religious leader Imam  Mahmoud  Dicko called on Malians to "rise up and come together" and end restrictions on freedoms and widespread hardship, RFI reported Dec. 23.

Mali: Leading Imam Issues Rare Video Appeal for Malians To Rise Up

Madagascar

Russia has delivered an arms shipment to Madagascar's military government, Bloomberg reported Dec. 22.

Madagascar: Russia Delivers Weapons Shipment to New Junta 

United States

China

A draft Pentagon report assesses that China has likely loaded over 100 solid-fueled DF-31 intercontinental ballistic missiles into three recently identified silo fields near the Mongolian border, Reuters reported Dec. 23. 

China, U.S.: Beijing Continues To Build Up Nuclear Arsenal, Reject Arms Control Talks

U.S.-China Relations

Syria

The Syrian government and the Kurdish-led and U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) agreed to a ceasefire on Dec. 23 following deadly clashes in the city of Aleppo a day earlier, the Associated Press reported the same day.

Syria: SDF and Government Forces Reach Ceasefire After Deadly Clashes in Aleppo

Israel

Palestinian Territories

Israel-Hamas Conflict

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said that Israel would maintain a permanent security presence in the Gaza Strip for security reasons and that at some point -- though no specific timeline was given -- Israel Defense Forces (IDF) would establish Nahal units in northern Gaza, Reuters reported Dec. 23. 

Israel, Palestinian Territories: Israeli Defense Minister Says IDF To Establish Civilian-Military Units in Gaza

The world is connected, but even the broadest topics deserve an individual look. Below are our latest and most relevant military analyses. 

Below are our latest and most relevant military analyses. 

Sub-Saharan Africa

Americas

Asia-Pacific

Europe

Eurasia

Middle East and North Africa

South Asia

The Syrian Civil War

The Yemen Civil War

The Libyan Civil War

The Fight Against the Islamic State

The Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict

The India-Pakistan Rivalry

Cyber

The Ukraine Conflict

Tracking U.S. Naval Power

The Battle for Mosul

Rebalancing Power in the Middle East

Coping With a Nuclear North Korea

The Jihadist Wars

Echoes of the Cold War

Instability in Central Asia

South Asian Militancy

Pakistan: A Military With a Country

Columns

On Geopolitics

Saudi Arabia

United Arab Emirates

Yemen

Yemenis gather during a rally to show their support for the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC), which wants to revive an independent South Yemen, as they wave the old South Yemen flag in Khormaksar Square, in the coastal port city of Aden on Dec. 14, 2025. 

Achieving South Arabian independence will require Yemen's Southern Transitional Council to overcome the historical challenges that have long plagued the governance of Yemen writ large, like tribalism and regionalism.

The Precarious Path to South Arabian Independence

Assessments

Venezuela

A U.S. Marine Corps AV-8B Harrier II on Dec. 15 taxis at Jose Aponte de la Torre Airport in Ceiba, Puerto Rico.

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

The Weekly Rundown: French Budget Deadlock, U.S.-Russia Talks in Miami

YemenYemenis rally to show their support for the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council on Dec. 14, 2025.

Escalating tensions and potential violence between the Southern Transitional Council and Saudi-backed forces create security vacuums that Houthi rebels will likely exploit.



Yemen's Anti-Houthi Bloc Is Fracturing

Mozambique

Republic of the Congo

Somalia

Afghanistan

A destroyed church is seen in Mosul, Iraq.

The Islamic State's main threat to the West in 2026 will remain its ability to inspire lone-actor violence, though in the coming years the group's African, Afghan and Syrian branches may become increasingly capable of directing mass casualty attacks in Western countries.

The Islamic State's Enduring Threat to the West

A container ship arrives Oct. 10 at the Port of Oakland, California. In 2026, political calculations among major global players will significantly shape international affairs.

Economics

Energy

Environment, Science & Technology

In 2026, political calculations among major global players will significantly shape international affairs.

2026 Annual Forecast: A Global Overview

Uzbekistan

Tajikistan

Turkmenistan

Kazakhstan

Kyrgyzstan

Global Trade

Despite growing interest from Russia, China and Western powers, Central Asia will struggle to emerge as a true continental trade hub due to competing agendas, weak financing and coordination, and security and governance issues.

The Geopolitics of Trade: Central Asia's Struggle for Logistics Sovereignty

A stock photo shows banknotes of the Russian ruble. 

The European Union using immobilized Russian assets to fund financial support for Ukraine will probably not have major reputational or financial consequences for the eurozone.


Using Frozen Russian Assets To Fund Ukraine Unlikely To Majorly Impact the Euro

South Africa

Chile

France

The Ukrainian flag is projected on the facade of Berlaymont, the European Commission headquarters, in Brussels on Nov. 18 to commemorate the Nov. 18, 2024, Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The Weekly Rundown: A European Council Decision on Ukraine Financing, South Africa Braces for Commission Findings

Tunisia

Tunisia's President Kais Saied (top-R) waits to take his oath of office during his swearing-in ceremony before the National Assembly in Tunis on Oct. 21, 2024. 

Despite tensions with union leaders, Tunisia's controversial finance bill will introduce reforms that attract foreign investment and increase production in key sectors.

Strikes Loom as Tunisia's Government Undermines Labor Union

Eritrea

Ethiopia

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (center), flanked by his wife (left) and Djibouti's President Ismail Omar Guelleh (right), attends the official inauguration ceremony of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) in Guba, on Sept. 9, 2025.

Worsening tensions over sea access and Eritrea's ties to groups opposed to the Ethiopian government raise the risk of intensifying proxy clashes that could quickly escalate into a larger military confrontation.

Assessing the Risk of an Ethiopia-Eritrea War in 2026

Iran

Lebanon

Israeli air defence systems are activated to intercept Iranian missiles over the Israeli city of Tel Aviv amid a fresh barrage of Iranian rockets on June 16, 2025.

If effective, the laser air defense system will significantly reduce the cost of intercepting short-range aerial threats and bolster Israel's multilayered protection against aerial attacks.


The Role of Iron Beam in Israel's Evolving Defense Architecture

Jordanian police close the entrance of a Muslim Brotherhood headquarters on April 23, 2025, in Amman, Jordan.

While the White House has initiated a review process to label the Muslim Brotherhood a Foreign Terrorist Organization, it is unlikely to result in a comprehensive ban on the group.

U.S. Unlikely To Broadly Designate Muslim Brotherhood as a Terrorist Organization

Military & Security

SITUATION REPORTS

Ukraine: Zelensky Details 20-Point Peace Plan, Eyes Conditional Referendum

Thailand, Cambodia: Ceasefire Talks Resume Under Thai Preconditions

Sahel: Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger Announce Large-scale Counterterrorism Operations

Mali: Leading Imam Issues Rare Video Appeal for Malians To Rise Up

Madagascar: Russia Delivers Weapons Shipment to New Junta

China, U.S.: Beijing Continues To Build Up Nuclear Arsenal, Reject Arms Control Talks

Syria: SDF and Government Forces Reach Ceasefire After Deadly Clashes in Aleppo

Israel, Palestinian Territories: Israeli Defense Minister Says IDF To Establish Civilian-Military Units in Gaza

Forecasts

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