<p>Eurasia is the world&rsquo;s most expansive region. It connects the East to the West, forming a land bridge that borders Europe, the Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and South Asia. Forming the borders of this massive tract of land are the Northern European Plain, the Carpathian Mountains, the Southern Caucasus Mountains, the Tien Shan Mountains and Siberia. At the heart of Eurasia is Russia, a country that throughout history has tried, to varying degrees of success, to extend its influence to Eurasia&rsquo;s farthest reaches &mdash; a strategy meant to insulate it from outside powers. But this strategy necessarily creates conflict throughout Russia&rsquo;s borderlands, putting Eurasia a near constant state of instability.</p>

Eurasia connects the East to the West, forming a land bridge that borders Europe, the Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and South Asia. 

Eurasia

Armenia

Tajikistan

Turkmenistan

Ukraine

Uzbekistan

Azerbaijan

Georgia

Belarus

Kazakhstan

Kyrgyzstan

Russia

Moldova

The Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict

Cyber

The Ukraine Conflict

The Politics of Pipelines

The New Silk Road

Commodities: A Cautionary Tale

A Crude Recovery

The Second Space Race

Echoes of the Cold War

Russia's Internal Struggle

The Fight for Russia’s Borderlands

Moscow Looks to the East

Instability in Central Asia

Assessments

United States

Europe

A stock photo shows banknotes of the Russian ruble. 

Economics

Military & Security

Politics

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

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.

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 European Council Decision on Ukraine Financing, South Africa Braces for Commission Findings

Tanzania

Hong Kong SAR, China

Protesters help an injured demonstrator near burning barricades amid clashes in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on Oct. 29, 2025. 

Environment, Science & Technology

The Weekly Rundown: Unrest in Tanzania, an EU Summit in Ukraine

U.S.-China Relations

Russia's President Vladimir Putin, accompanied by Kremlin economic envoy Kirill Dmitriev and Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov, meets with US special envoy Steve Witkoff and US President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner at the Kremlin in Moscow on Dec. 2, 2025.

Energy

Fundamental disagreements between Ukraine and Russia over territorial concessions and security guarantees suggest that peace negotiations are unlikely to lead to a comprehensive breakthrough.

Despite U.S. Diplomatic Push, Ukraine Peace Still a Long Way Off

India

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi hold a meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin on Sept. 1, 2025.

Global Trade

While Putin's Dec. 4-5 visit may yield some progress in defense, energy and trade cooperation, India will likely maintain selective engagement with Russia as it navigates U.S. pressure and continues diversifying its arms suppliers.

What To Expect as Putin Visits India

Honduras

China

Russian President Vladimir Putin greets Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for their bilateral meeting during the 2025 Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit.

The Weekly Rundown: Putin-Modi Meeting, Honduras General Election

Columns

A Ukrainian serviceman from the 24th mechanized brigade prepares a Magura night drone to flight toward the front line in the area of Chasiv Yar, Donetsk region late on April 29, 2025.

Ukraine's success in using cheap drones against Russia reveals how smaller states can leverage accessible technologies to impose disproportionate and sustained costs on a materially superior adversary.

Drones Are Redefining Asymmetric Warfare

Smoke rises in the background as a Ukrainian flag flutters in the wind following a mass overnight Russian drone and missile attacks, in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv on Nov. 19, 2025. 

European efforts to adjust core elements of Trump's plan won't shield Ukraine from his latest threat to withdraw support, and Europe's limited leverage and internal constraints mean it is unlikely to sustain Kyiv's defense alone if talks with the White House fail.

What To Make of Europe's Counterproposal to the U.S. Ukraine Peace Plan

Angola

Japan

South Korea

United Kingdom

Banners bearing portraits of leaders of the G20 on Nov. 20 in Johannesburg. The South African government has focused the G20 summit's agenda on issues key to African countries.

The Weekly Rundown: A High-Stakes British Budget, South Africa Hosts the G20

Snapshots

Ukrainian artillerymen operate a U.S.-made M-114 howitzer near Pokrovsk, Ukraine, on Oct. 16, 2025.

Trump has given Ukraine until Nov. 27 to accept a plan that would freeze the war on terms favorable to Moscow, or face U.S. aid cuts. But Kyiv is unlikely to accede, instead relying on European support to continue fighting.

Ukraine Likely To Reject Trump's Peace Plan Ultimatum, Prolonging the War

Germany

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner concluded two days of negotiations on a security guarantees for Ukraine as part of a potential Russia-Ukraine peace framework, the Financial Times reported on Dec. 15.

Ukraine, U.S.: Berlin Talks Advance Security Framework But Leave Territory Unresolved

Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said any Russia-Ukraine ceasefire would require Ukraine's full withdrawal from the Donbas region, Kommersant reported on Dec. 12.

Russia, Ukraine: Moscow Signals Rigid Donbas Preconditions as Allies Revise Peace Plan

EU member states are set to formally approve on Dec. 12 a European Commission proposal to indefinitely immobilize around 210 billion euros (roughly $246 billion) in Russian central bank assets held in Europe, replacing the current six-month sanctions rollover that requires unanimity, Reuters reported the same day.

Europe, Russia, Ukraine: EU Moves To Freeze Russian Central Bank Assets Indefinitely

Indonesia

Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto in Moscow, offering expanded military cooperation, nuclear energy assistance and renewed wheat export volumes after a year of disrupted shipments, Reuters reported on Dec. 10.

Indonesia, Russia: Jakarta Expands Military and Energy Links With Moscow

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Kyiv and its European partners are ready to present "refined" peace proposals to Washington following high-stakes meetings in London, Brussels and Rome, Reuters reported on Dec. 9.

Ukraine, Europe: Zelensky's Diplomatic Marathon Tests Western Unity Against Trump's Christmas Deadline

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree authorizing the joint venture between Rosneft and Shell to execute transactions regarding its 7.5% stake in the Caspian Pipeline Consortium, Reuters reported on Dec. 8.

Russia, Kazakhstan: Putin Authorizes Shell's Exit From Caspian Pipeline Consortium

In an interview with Bloomberg News, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky revealed that Kyiv was seeking a standalone security agreement from Western allies and "above all the U.S." to run parallel to any peace treaty, Bloomberg reported on Dec. 8. 

Ukraine: Zelensky Signals Deadlock on Donbas and Seeks Security Guarantees

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Kyiv will present a revised 20-point peace framework to U.S. officials on Dec. 9 following consultations with British, French and German leaders in London, United Kingdom, Reuters reported on Dec. 8.

Ukraine, Europe: Kyiv Prepares Counterproposal for Washington as Territorial Deadlock Persists

Eurasia

SITUATION REPORTS

Ukraine, U.S.: Berlin Talks Advance Security Framework But Leave Territory Unresolved

Russia, Ukraine: Moscow Signals Rigid Donbas Preconditions as Allies Revise Peace Plan

Europe, Russia, Ukraine: EU Moves To Freeze Russian Central Bank Assets Indefinitely

Indonesia, Russia: Jakarta Expands Military and Energy Links With Moscow

Ukraine, Europe: Zelensky's Diplomatic Marathon Tests Western Unity Against Trump's Christmas Deadline

Russia, Kazakhstan: Putin Authorizes Shell's Exit From Caspian Pipeline Consortium

Ukraine: Zelensky Signals Deadlock on Donbas and Seeks Security Guarantees

Ukraine, Europe: Kyiv Prepares Counterproposal for Washington as Territorial Deadlock Persists

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