United States

Ukraine

Russia

Military & Security

Politics

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

U.S. President Donald Trump said his administration was looking to trade continued U.S. military support to Ukraine for "rare earths and other things," the Financial Times reported on Feb. 4.

Ukraine, U.S., Russia: Trump Wants Ukrainian Minerals in Return for U.S. Military Support

India

Economics

Environment, Science & Technology

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the United States on Feb. 12 for a two-day trip, during which he is scheduled to meet with President Donald Trump on Feb. 13, The Hindu reported on Feb. 4.

India: Modi To Speak With Trump During Two-Day U.S. Visit

China

Philippines

U.S. Air Force B-1 bombers and Philippine FA-50 fighter jets conducted a joint air patrol and air-intercept drills over the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea in the first such exercise of Donald Trump's U.S. presidential administration, AP reported on Feb. 4.

Philippines, U.S.: Joint Air Patrol Over Scarborough Shoal

El Salvador

El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele agreed to accept in Salvadoran prisons U.S. nationals and legal residents currently arrested in the United States, as well as deportees of any nationality, La Jornada reported on Feb. 3.

U.S., El Salvador: Bukele To Use Security and Migration Policies To Sustain Close Ties With U.S.

United Kingdom

Belgium

Energy

European Council President Antonio Costa announced that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer would host European Union leaders at a summit in the United Kingdom on May 19 to discuss plans to build closer U.K.-EU post-Brexit relations, Politico reported Feb. 4. 

U.K.: Starmer Moves to Reset U.K.-EU Ties with New Summit Amid Domestic Constraints

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Rwanda

The Rwanda-backed AFC/M23 rebel coalition unilaterally declared that it would abide by a ceasefire with Congolese forces and their allies in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo from Feb. 4, citing humanitarian reasons and added that the group was not seeking to seize Bukavu, the provincial capital of South Kivu, Reuters reported Feb. 3.

Congo: AFC/M23 Unilaterally Announces Ceasefire Ahead of Tshisekedi-Kagame Meeting

South Africa

U.S. President Donald Trump accused the South African government of confiscating land and "treating a certain class of people VERY BADLY," adding that he would cut U.S. funding to South Africa until an investigation on the matter was completed, Reuters reported on Feb. 3.

South Africa, U.S.: Trump Vows To 'Cut Funding' Over Expropriation Bill

Venezuela

U.S. President Donald Trump's crisis negotiator, Richard Grenell, met with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela on Jan. 31, after which Venezuelan authorities released six detained U.S. nationals and agreed to receive deported undocumented Venezuelan migrants from the United States, the Financial Times reported on Feb. 1.

Venezuela: Government Frees U.S. Prisoners, Agrees To Receive Deportees

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

Below are our latest and most relevant politics analyses.

Sub-Saharan Africa

Americas

Asia-Pacific

Europe

Eurasia

Middle East and North Africa

South Asia

The Post-Apartheid Era Ends

Venezuela's Unraveling

The Saudi Survival Strategy

The Kurdish Struggle

Israel's Survival Strategy

Turkey's Resurgence

EU: Regional Blocs

Divided EU Foreign Policies

Brexit

Old Leaders in a New Africa

The U.S. and the Balance of Power

The Pulse of Political Islam

Broken Contracts in the Middle East

Russia's Internal Struggle

China in Transition

Southeast Asia: Burdened by Consensus

India's Own Worst Enemy

Pakistan: A Military With a Country

Assessments

Syria

A shuttered hotel is seen in Aleppo, Syria, on Jan. 24, 2025. 

To secure sanctions relief from the West, Syria's new leaders will likely take some symbolic steps toward forming an inclusive government, but any relief may prove temporary if Damascus diverges from its democratic promises.

The Prospect of Sanctions Relief for Post-Assad Syria

Snapshots

Stacked shipping containers are seen at Yantian Port in Shenzhen, China, on Dec. 1, 2024. 

While a resolution on stemming flows of Chinese fentanyl to the U.S. market is possible, a comprehensive trade deal is still unlikely due to the wide scope of U.S. grievances and China's reluctance to concede on sensitive issues.

New U.S. Tariffs on China May Be Negotiable, but a Broader Trade Deal Remains Unlikely

U.S.-China Relations

Media

South Korea

Podcasts

Essential Geopolitics: Key Events in South Korean Politics, Part I

Essential Geopolitics: Key Events in South Korean Politics Part II

The U.S. and EU flags are seen next to each other.

If Trump makes good on his threat, the EU will impose retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods while simultaneously pursuing talks with the White House to avoid a lengthy and economically costly trade war.

Gauging the EU's Response to Potential U.S. Tariffs

Canada

Mexico

Shipping containers are seen at the Port of Montreal in Montreal, Canada, on Feb. 3, 2025. 

Sustained U.S. tariffs on Canada and Mexico would undermine North American economic growth and integration, and Trump's apparent willingness to accept these costs raises the risk of his other large tariff proposals being implemented.

The High Stakes of U.S. Tariffs on North American Trade

Columns

On Geopolitics

Israel

Turkey

Syria’s de-facto leader Ahmad al-Sharaa addresses a crowd at a mosque in Damascus on Dec. 8, 2024.

While Syrians will drive their country's destiny, external influence from regional and global powers could determine what kind of government replaces the deposed Assad regime.

Syria's Future: Islamist Republic, Turkish Client State, or Jihadist Stronghold?

Indonesia

Japan

Laos

Malaysia

Vietnam

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba hold a joint press conference on Jan. 10, 2025.

Japan is intensifying its diplomatic and security engagement in Southeast Asia through defense, trade and infrastructure agreements to counterbalance China and enhance regional stability.

Ishiba Strengthens Japan's Role in Southeast Asia With Defense and Trade Deals

Egypt

Jordan

Palestinian Territories

Saudi Arabia

Displaced Palestinians return to their homes in the Shijaiyah neighborhood, Gaza City, on Jan. 28, 2025, following the Hamas-Israel ceasefire.

Israel-Hamas Conflict

Egypt and Jordan will reject Trump's current proposal to resettle over a million Palestinians from Gaza to their territories due to fears of stoking domestic unrest, but they will likely permit smaller, gradual resettlements via illegal smuggling routes.

Trump Wants Egypt and Jordan To Take in Palestinians From Gaza. Will They Do It?

Social Issues

While government reforms will help catalyze much-needed investments in water infrastructure, these are unlikely to rapidly resolve the country's water supply challenges, which threaten to undermine South Africa's economic growth amid more frequent droughts. 

The Geopolitics of Water: The Cascading Effects of South African Underinvestment in Water Infrastructure

The Geopolitics of Water

Serbia

Kosovo

Demonstrators march in central Belgrade, Serbia, on Jan. 24, 2025, as part of a general strike over the fatal collapse of a train station roof in Novi Sad in November.

Protests over a deadly roof collapse in Novi Sad have morphed into a massive anti-corruption movement that could threaten Vucic's decade-long rule.

In Serbia, Mounting Anti-Government Protests Threaten President Vucic's Rule

Russian President Vladimir Putin gives a speech during a state awards ceremony at the Kremlin in Moscow on Dec. 16, 2024.

The negotiations are unlikely to quickly yield a ceasefire, as Trump pressures the Kremlin for a deal with sanctions pressure and the prospect of continued support to Ukraine.

How Will U.S.-Russia Talks on Ukraine Play Out in the Months Ahead?

Politics

SITUATION REPORTS

Ukraine, U.S., Russia: Trump Wants Ukrainian Minerals in Return for U.S. Military Support

India: Modi To Speak With Trump During Two-Day U.S. Visit

Philippines, U.S.: Joint Air Patrol Over Scarborough Shoal

U.S., El Salvador: Bukele To Use Security and Migration Policies To Sustain Close Ties With U.S.

U.K.: Starmer Moves to Reset U.K.-EU Ties with New Summit Amid Domestic Constraints

Congo: AFC/M23 Unilaterally Announces Ceasefire Ahead of Tshisekedi-Kagame Meeting

South Africa, U.S.: Trump Vows To 'Cut Funding' Over Expropriation Bill

Venezuela: Government Frees U.S. Prisoners, Agrees To Receive Deportees

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