Angola

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Zambia

United States

Economics

U.S. Ambassador to Angola James Story is conducting a three-day visit along the Lobito Corridor, a U.S.-backed rail project that aims to upgrade transport networks between Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo's mineral-rich regions to the port of Lobito in Angola, The New York Times reported on April 2.

U.S., Angola: Trump Administration Shows First Sign of Support to Lobito Corridor 

China

Philippines

Taiwan

Military & Security

The United States approved a $5.58 billion sale of 20 F-16 fighter jets and related weapon systems and equipment to the Philippines, marking a major upgrade in Manila's air combat capabilities, Defense News reported on April 2. 

Philippines, U.S.: F-16 Sale Highlights Manila's Frontline Taiwan Role

Iran

Qatar

Politics

The United States is "seriously" considering Iran's proposal for indirect nuclear talks through Omani intermediaries, Axios reported on April 2, citing two U.S. officials. 

U.S., Iran: Trump Administration Weighs Iran's Offer of Indirect Nuclear Talks 

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom's Prime Minister Keir Starmer instructed his Cabinet to prepare for imminent U.S. tariffs on British exports after last-minute negotiations with the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump failed to secure an exemption, the Financial Times reported on April 1.

U.K.: London Unlikely To Escape U.S. Tariffs, But Negotiations Will Continue

Israel

Syria

Turkey

Europe

Syria's provisional government announced a new transitional government that included minorities, former government officials, exiles and technocrats, The New York Times reported on March 30.

Syria: New Transitional Government Includes Minorities but Maintains Status Quo

Japan

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth met with his counterpart in Japan, pledging to upgrade the U.S. military command in Japan and accelerate joint missile production while noting that "Japan is our indispensable partner in deterring communist Chinese military aggression," Reuters reported on March 30.

Japan, Taiwan, U.S.: Hegseth Champions Japan, Pentagon Prioritizes Taiwan

U.S. diplomats in Europe sent letters to some large EU companies warning them to comply with an executive order signed by U.S. President Donald Trump earlier this year that barred government contractors from having DEI programs, AP reported on March 31. 

U.S., EU: State Department Demands That EU Companies Comply With Ban on DEI Programs

Energy

U.S.-Iran Relations

U.S. President Donald Trump warned that if Iran does not reach a nuclear deal with the United States, "there will be bombing" and so-called secondary tariffs on Iranian oil, according to a March 30 interview with Axios.

Iran: Trump Threatens To Place Secondary Tariffs, Bomb Iran Absent a Nuclear Deal

Assessments

Somalia

Egypt

Palestinian Territories

Saudi Arabia

United Arab Emirates

Philippe Lazzarini (C), the commissioner general for the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, attends a humanitarian conference for Gaza in Cairo, Egypt, on Dec. 2, 2024, amid the continuing Israel-Hamas war.

Egypt's economic limitations will continue to restrain its assertiveness in foreign policy, constraining its ability to project power in the region.

Egypt's Economic Priorities Sideline Assertive Foreign Policy

Columns

On Geopolitics

Russia

Members of the Spanish and Bulgarian armed forces during the NATO exercise Steadfast Dart on Feb. 13, 2025, in Tsrancha, Bulgaria. 

Any U.S. retrenchment away from Europe will more likely be gradual, shaped by strategic realities, shared interests and material constraints, but this transition will still carry profound military, economic and societal implications that will deeply reshape the Continent's security landscape and accelerate the transition to a truly multipolar world.

The Future of Transatlantic Security Cooperation, Part 1: The View From Washington

Canada

A "Canada First" rally addressed by Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre on Feb. 15 the at the Rogers Center in Ottawa, Canada.

Global Trade

The Liberal Party will most likely win enough seats to form a government -- a stunning turnaround since former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Jan. 6 resignation.

Canada's Election: Potential Outcomes and Their Implications

South Korea

Germany

France

Ukraine

People wave flags and chant slogans during a protest in front of the municipality headquarters in support of arrested Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu on March 19, 2025, in Istanbul, Turkey. 

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

The Weekly Rundown: U.S. To Announce Tariffs, Protests in Turkey Rage On

Tracking U.S. Naval Power

This map shows the approximate locations of U.S. Carrier Strike Groups and Amphibious Ready Groups.

U.S. Naval Update Map: March 27, 2025

Snapshots

New Zealand

India

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi (L) walks with New Zealand's Prime Minister Christopher Luxon (R) before their meeting at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi, India, on March 17, 2025. 

U.S. tariff threats are pushing India to revamp negotiations over free trade agreements, but protectionist trade policies and other obstacles will challenge the progression of talks.

India Dusts Off Old FTA Negotiations Ahead of U.S. Tariffs

Brazil

Lebanon

Vietnam

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio (L) and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a joint press conference Feb. 16 at the prime minister's office in Jerusalem. Senior Israeli officials from the security and intelligence ministries will visit the United States to discuss Iran's nuclear program and Israeli border demarcation talks with Lebanon.

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

The Weekly Rundown: The U.S. and Israel Coordinate on Iran, the U.K. Chancellor Seeks Fiscal Discipline

Spain

Spanish soldiers sit at tables at a makeshift military base in Valencia, eastern Spain, on Nov. 12, 2024, following deadly floods in the region.

Domestic political constraints will impede Madrid's ability to expand its defense budget, which will expose it to U.S. retaliation and limit Spanish participation in any European deployment to Ukraine.

Despite Recent Pledges, Spain Will Struggle To Boost Military Spending

U.S. Naval Update Map: March 20, 2025

Media

Podcasts

How will these changes affect European countries?


Essential Geopolitics: The United States' Evolving Relationship With Russia

South Africa

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa arrives at a briefing at his African National Congress (ANC) party's headquarters in Johannesburg on May 13, 2024.

Social Issues

South Africa will struggle to meet Trump's demands for major foreign and domestic policy changes, which will risk exposing the country to disruptive U.S. economic retaliation, including entity-based sanctions.

Trump Turns Up the Heat on South Africa

Smoke billows during Israeli strikes west of Gaza City on March 18, 2025. 

Israel-Hamas Conflict

In the coming days and weeks, Israel will likely carry out phased escalations and de-escalations to pressure Hamas into releasing the remaining hostages, returning Gaza to war by effectively collapsing the January ceasefire.

Large-Scale Israeli Airstrikes Plunge Gaza Back Into an Open-Ended Conflict

The United States encompasses territory spanning from the Arctic Circle and Central Pacific to the Gulf of Mexico and the North Atlantic.    The Greater Mississippi Basin is the United States' core and serves as the underpinning of its role as a global superpower.    The basin hosts an extensive network of navigable rivers that overlay the world's largest contiguous piece of arable land. This naturally interconnected river system facilitated integration among settlers and allowed for cheap transport of goods, providing the United States with the ability to feed itself efficiently and rapidly build up industry and capital to expand west. The Midwestern core gave early America strategic depth, while an expanding U.S. coastline, naturally indented with deep harbors, provided its opening to the world.    After reaching the Pacific coast in the mid-19th century, the United States found itself insulated by two oceans. On the continent itself, geography again has worked in the country's favor: lakes to the north and deserts to the south insulate the United States' population centers, with both Canada and Mexico facing too many natural constraints of their own to seriously rival it.    This unparalleled level of wealth and protection gives the United States options that few to no countries can claim. For one, the United States has used its wealth and security to build up the world's largest navy. Control of the world's major sea-lanes gives the United States the power to facilitate or deny trade to allies or rivals of the day. The onus therefore is on the United States to carefully manage its engagements abroad and build up strategic allies to protect its overseas interests and preserve its strength at home. 

SITUATION REPORTS

U.S., Angola: Trump Administration Shows First Sign of Support to Lobito Corridor

Philippines, U.S.: F-16 Sale Highlights Manila's Frontline Taiwan Role

U.S., Iran: Trump Administration Weighs Iran's Offer of Indirect Nuclear Talks

U.K.: London Unlikely To Escape U.S. Tariffs, But Negotiations Will Continue

Syria: New Transitional Government Includes Minorities but Maintains Status Quo

Japan, Taiwan, U.S.: Hegseth Champions Japan, Pentagon Prioritizes Taiwan

U.S., EU: State Department Demands That EU Companies Comply With Ban on DEI Programs

Iran: Trump Threatens To Place Secondary Tariffs, Bomb Iran Absent a Nuclear Deal

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