Ukraine

Russia

Military & Security

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting with ex-commander of the paramilitary Wagner Group Andrei Troshev (who the Kremlin said now works for Russia's Defense Ministry) and Deputy Defense Minister Yunus-Bek Yevkurov, Reuters reported on Sept. 29.

Ukraine, Russia: Putin Discusses Ukraine War With Former Wagner Commander

Belarus

Politics

A spokesperson of the Ukrainian army's eastern forces confirmed reports that mercenaries affiliated with Russia's paramilitary Wagner Group have returned to Ukraine, near Bakhmut, Meduza reported on Sept. 27.

Ukraine, Russia: Multiple Sources Claim Wagner Returns to Bakhmut

Sudan

Ukraine's special services were "likely" behind a series of drone strikes and a ground operation targeting Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which are backed by Russia's paramilitary Wagner Group, in Khartoum, CNN reported on Sept. 19, citing a Ukrainian military source.

Sudan, Ukraine: Kyiv 'Likely' Behind Drone Strikes on Russia-Backed Forces in Khartoum

North Korea

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in eastern Russia, Russia's main satellite launch facility, Yonhap News Agency reported Sept. 13. 

Russia, North Korea: Kim Meets Putin at Russian Space Center

United States

The U.S. Biden administration is close to approving the provision of Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) to Ukraine, Reuters reported on Sept. 11.

Ukraine, U.S.: In Reversal, Washington May Soon Approve Provision of ATACMS to Kyiv

United Kingdom

The British government said it would proscribe the Russian mercenary group, Wagner, as a terrorist organization, Reuters reported Sept. 6. 

UK, Russia: London to Proscribe Wagner PMC as a Terrorist Organization

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will travel by armored train to the eastern Russian city of Vladivostok to negotiate an arms deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin sometime during the Eastern Economic Forum from Sept. 10-13, The New York Times reported Sept. 4. 

North Korea, Russia: Kim and Putin Plan Summit in Russian Far East

Ukraine conducted its most massive series of air attacks on objects inside Russia since Moscow's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, striking over half a dozen Russian regions, Reuters reported Aug. 30.

Ukraine, Russia: Kyiv Hits Pskov Airfield in Largest-Ever Mass Drone Attack on Russia

Assessments

Israel

Saudi Arabia

China

Indonesia

India

A door at the U.N. headquarters Sept. 15, 2023, in New York ahead of the 78th session of the General Assembly. The 78th U.N. General Assembly will occur Sept. 18-26 against a backdrop of deepening global divisions.

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

The Weekly Rundown: The U.N. General Assembly, Zelensky's U.S. Visit

Snapshots

Turkey

A ship transiting Ukrainian grain is seen off the coast of Istanbul, Turkey, on July 17, 2023, after Russia announced its withdrawal from the Black Sea grain export deal.

Economics

If high food prices continue to harm its political popularity at home, Ankara may become more confrontational with Moscow over its blockade of Ukrainian wheat exports. 

What Russia's Refusal to Restore the Ukraine Grain Deal Means for Its Ties With Turkey 

Kenya

Vehicles drive past the logo of the G-20 Summit on Aug. 10, 2023, in New Delhi.

Environment, Science & Technology

The Weekly Rundown: The Africa Climate Summit, the G-20 Summit in New Delhi

Columns

On Geopolitics

Europe

Georgia

Demonstrators wave a flag of Georgia in Europe Square on June 20, 2022 in Tbilisi, Georgia.

The ruling party's recent move to impeach the country's pro-EU president acutely illustrates how Georgia's complex domestic politics complicate predictions of its geopolitical trajectory.

Deep Divisions Set the Tone For Georgia's Geopolitical Future

A North Korean flag is seen fixed on a lamp post in the far-eastern Russian port of Vladivostok on April 25, 2019. 

Access to North Korean weapons could help Moscow sustain its Ukraine invasion, while access to Russian imports and funding could help Pyongyang reduce its reliance on China.

What Russia and North Korea Stand to Gain From an Arms Deal

Taiwan

Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) leaders' summit on Sept. 16, 2022.

Social Issues

The U.S., the EU, Russia and India are all holding votes next year that will be marked by nationalist populism, portending more policy uncertainty, domestic strife and international conflict.

The Four 2024 Elections That Will Shape the Second Half of the Decade

U.S.-China Relations

Yevgeny Prigozhin on July 4, 2017, in Moscow.

Firmer Kremlin control over the Wagner Group means its fighters are likely to focus more on deployments in Africa and Ukraine.

The Wagner Group After the Death of Yevgeny Prigozhin

Uzbekistan

Tajikistan

Kazakhstan

Kyrgyzstan

People seeking to return to work in Russia line up outside Tajikistan's state air ticket agency in the capital of Dushanbe on April 8, 2021. 

The ongoing war in Ukraine has left Russia in need of more soldiers, workers and political scapegoats -- a problem in which Central Asia's migrant population will play a critical role.

The Plight of Central Asian Migrants in Wartime Russia

Lithuania

Latvia

Poland

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

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

Rescuers use a crane to dismantle the rubble of a building destroyed by a Russian shelling on Aug. 8, 2023, in Pokrovsk, Ukraine. 

Western governments are considering paying for Ukraine's reconstruction with the Russian central bank assets they froze in Feb. 2022, which would have myriad legal, economic and strategic consequences.

The Implications of Using Frozen Russian Assets To Rebuild Ukraine

A Ukrainian artilleryman fires a 152 mm towed gun-howitzer D-20 at Russian positions near Bakhmut, eastern Ukraine, on July 20, 2023. 

The West's failure to provide Kyiv with more robust support and Ukraine's failure to retake enough territory to destabilize Russia’s government indicate that time is less on Kyiv’s side now than it was a year ago.

Bracing for a Protracted War in Ukraine: Updating Our Analysis, One Year On

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-Ukraine Conflict

SITUATION REPORTS

Ukraine, Russia: Putin Discusses Ukraine War With Former Wagner Commander

Ukraine, Russia: Multiple Sources Claim Wagner Returns to Bakhmut

Sudan, Ukraine: Kyiv 'Likely' Behind Drone Strikes on Russia-Backed Forces in Khartoum

Russia, North Korea: Kim Meets Putin at Russian Space Center

Ukraine, U.S.: In Reversal, Washington May Soon Approve Provision of ATACMS to Kyiv

UK, Russia: London to Proscribe Wagner PMC as a Terrorist Organization

North Korea, Russia: Kim and Putin Plan Summit in Russian Far East

Ukraine, Russia: Kyiv Hits Pskov Airfield in Largest-Ever Mass Drone Attack on Russia

Forecasts

ANALYSES

SECTIONS

Explore

Subscribe

Help & Support