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Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia was ready for negotiations and unspecified "compromises" regarding the Russia-Ukraine war, the BBC reported on Dec. 19. 

Ukraine, Russia: Putin Claims Readiness for Negotiations and Compromises

The head of the Russian military's nuclear, biological and chemical protection forces, Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, was killed in an apparent assassination when an improvised explosive device attached to an electric scooter exploded outside his apartment, AP reported on Dec. 17.

Ukraine, Russia: High-Ranking Russian General Killed in Assassination

Energy

Russia conducted a mass airstrike on Ukraine's energy infrastructure using 93 missiles and over 200 drones, the Financial Times reported on Dec. 13.

Russia, Ukraine: Russia Conducts Mass Air Attack on Ukrainian Energy Infrastructure

France

Poland

French President Emmanuel Macron will travel to Warsaw, Poland, on Dec. 12 to discuss with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk the hypothetical deployment of a post-war peacekeeping force to Ukraine that would preserve Ukrainian sovereignty in the event of a deal between incoming U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the Russia-Ukraine war, Politico reported on Dec. 11.

Ukraine, France: Macron To Pitch Deployment to Ukraine as Part of Post-War Security Guarantee

United States

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Ukraine needed to incorporate younger people into the military to succeed in the war with Russia, noting that "right now, 18- to 25-year olds are not in the fight," Reuters reported on Dec. 4. 

U.S., Ukraine: U.S. Calls for Ukraine To Lower Mobilization Age

Russian forces seized almost 235 square kilometers in Ukraine over the past week, setting a weekly record for territory captured in 2024, Agenstvo reported Nov. 26.

Ukraine: Russian Forces Continue Advances in the Southeast

Russia struck a facility in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro using what Russian President Vladimir Putin said was a new hypersonic intermediate-range ballistic missile, or IRBM, named Oreshnik allegedly in response to aggressive actions of NATO countries against Russia, Reuters reported on Nov. 21. 

Russia, Ukraine: Russia Strikes Ukrainian City Using New Missile

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree formalizing changes to Russia's nuclear doctrine that lowered the threshold for nuclear use and clarified the list of threats that could warrant a nuclear response, including aggression against Russia by any non-nuclear state backed by a nuclear-armed country, Reuters reported on Nov. 19.

Russia: Putin Signed Russia's Revised Nuclear Doctrine

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Cargo containers painted with Chinese and U.S. flags. Trade disruptions, shifting military conflicts and domestic political turbulence will shape global affairs in 2025.

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Trade disruptions, shifting military conflicts and domestic political turbulence will shape global affairs in 2025.

2025 Annual Forecast: A Global Overview

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The NATO symbol and flags of some member countries Oct. 18 in Brussels. The NATO-Ukraine Council will meet Nov. 26 to discuss Russia's first use of an experimental ballistic missile on Ukrainian territory, which on Nov. 21 Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed involved a new medium-range, hypersonic ballistic missile known as "Oreshnik."

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 NATO-Ukraine Summit, Putin's State Visit to Kazakhstan

Columns

On Geopolitics

People walk by destroyed houses in Pokrovsk, Ukraine, on Nov. 16, 2024.

Trump's victory has accelerated the timeline for an end to the war, though it also appears likely a cease-fire will happen on Russia's terms and may not lead to sustainable peace.

The Growing Prospect of a Cease-Fire in Ukraine

Snapshots

United Kingdom

Debris lies in the courtyard of a damaged house following a missile attack at an undisclosed location in Ukraine's Odesa region on Nov. 17, 2024.

The U.S. decision to allow Ukraine to strike deeper into Russia with ATACMS missiles signals a policy shift but is unlikely to change the war's trajectory.

U.S. Greenlights Limited Ukrainian Strikes Inside Russia with Long-Range Missiles

North Korea

On April 16, 2024, 155mm caliber shells are shown after manufacturing, ready for shipment at the Scranton Army Ammunition Plant (SCAAP) in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

Trump's return to the White House and North Korean support for Russia have shifted the conflict's dynamics, likely portending a further weakened position for Kyiv.

Bracing for a Protracted War in Ukraine: The Narrowing Path to a Ukrainian Victory

Russia and Ukraine flags on a cracked wall with the silhouettes of soldiers.

With likely reduced U.S. support, Russia may push for more territory and pressure Kyiv to negotiate as Moscow welcomes Trump's victory.

How the U.S. Election Will Impact the War in Ukraine

Global Elections

Mexico

Iran

Israel

China

Former U.S. President Donald Trump arrives to speak during an election event in the early hours of Nov. 6, 2024.

Trump will place more tariffs on U.S. trade partners and reduce support for Ukraine, but he will largely maintain Biden's approach to the U.S. tech rivalry with China and the Middle East conflict.

Trump's Win Will Ripple Across the World

Germany

The U.S. and EU flags.

Donald Trump's return to the U.S. presidency is set to disrupt trans-Atlantic relations, likely escalating trade tensions, weakening already limited cooperation on climate and tech policy, and straining EU unity on defense and support for Ukraine. 

What Trump's Return to Office Means for the European Union

Denmark

Sweden

Norway

The Hywind Tampen floating offshore wind farm, situated between energy company Equinor's oil and gas fields Snorre and Gullfaks in the Norwegian North Sea off the coast of Bergen.

The likelihood of Russian attacks targeting Europe's offshore energy infrastructure is increasing, but Moscow is likely to avoid actions that could cause major disruptions.

Russia's Increasingly Aggressive Sabotage Threatens Europe's Offshore Energy Network

Azerbaijan

A natural gas compressor station is pictured on the grounds of the Baltic Sea gas pipeline prior to its opening ceremony in Budno near Goleniow, Poland. 

Despite strong interest in a deal from all parties, constraints may sink negotiations on further Russian gas transit through Ukraine. 

Ukraine Seeks Gas Transit Agreement With Azerbaijan as Gazprom Deal Nears Expiry

Mozambique

Brazil

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A man in Maputo walks past a wall covered with electoral posters in support of Daniel Chapo, the ruling party candidate in Mozambique’s presidential election, on Oct. 4, 2024. 

The Weekly Rundown: Biden Visits Germany as Mozambique, Tunisia and Brazil Hold Elections

A Russian RS-24 Yars nuclear missile complex arrives during the main rehearsals of the Victory Day military parade in Moscow's Red Square on May 5, 2024.

The changes aim to threaten the West by making even more explicit Moscow's preexisting ability to use nuclear weapons in response to Ukrainian attacks. But the move won't stop Western efforts to maintain support for Ukraine.

With an Updated Nuclear Doctrine, Russia Looks To Slow Western Support for Ukraine

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

SITUATION REPORTS

Ukraine, Russia: Putin Claims Readiness for Negotiations and Compromises

Ukraine, Russia: High-Ranking Russian General Killed in Assassination

Russia, Ukraine: Russia Conducts Mass Air Attack on Ukrainian Energy Infrastructure

Ukraine, France: Macron To Pitch Deployment to Ukraine as Part of Post-War Security Guarantee

U.S., Ukraine: U.S. Calls for Ukraine To Lower Mobilization Age

Ukraine: Russian Forces Continue Advances in the Southeast

Russia, Ukraine: Russia Strikes Ukrainian City Using New Missile

Russia: Putin Signed Russia's Revised Nuclear Doctrine

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