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Ukraine

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Military & Security

Politics

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

U.S. President Donald Trump announced that he would give Russia 10-12 days to reach a ceasefire with Ukraine, shortening the initial 50-day deadline he issued on July 14, Bloomberg reported on July 28.

Russia, Ukraine: Trump Compresses Ceasefire Ultimatum Deadline, Signals Pivot to Economic Coercion

Negotiators from Russia and Ukraine met in Istanbul, Turkey, for their third round of direct talks, during which envoys agreed to exchange captured and deceased people, though there are conflicting reports about precise numbers, Bloomberg reported on July 23.

Russia, Ukraine: Envoys Meet for Third Time but Make Little Progress

France

Following meetings in Kyiv with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot announced that French companies will begin manufacturing drones in Ukraine, Euractiv reported on July 21. 

France, Ukraine: Paris Announces Agreement To Manufacture Drones on Ukrainian Soil

The third meeting between Russia and Ukraine will occur "at the end of this week," Russia's TASS agency reported on July 21, citing an undisclosed source. 

Russia, Ukraine: Third Round of Negotiations Expected the Week of July 21

United Kingdom

Cyber

The British government sanctioned 18 people across three units of Russia's GRU military intelligence agency who are accused of conducting cyber and hybrid warfare operations targeting the United Kingdom and Ukraine, Bloomberg reported on July 18.

U.K., Russia: British Government Sanctions Russian Spies Over Hybrid Warfare

Europe

EU member states approved the bloc's 18th sanctions package against Russia, introducing a revised dynamic oil price cap, expanded banking restrictions, sanctions on the Nord Stream gas pipelines and curbs on imports of oil products refined from Russian crude, Reuters reported on July 17.

EU, Russia: EU Approves 18th Sanctions Package Against Russia

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russia "continues to analyze" U.S. President Donald Trump's threat to impose a 100% tariff on countries purchasing Russian oil unless Moscow agrees to a peace deal with Kyiv by early September, Reuters reported on July 17.

Russia, Ukraine: Russia 'Continues To Analyze' Trump's Sanctions Threat

Moldova

On   July 15, the Council of the European Union added seven people and three organizations to its Moldova‑focused sanctions list.

Moldova: EU Sanctions Individuals and Organizations Accused of Destabilizing Country

Assessments

A protester holds a Ukrainian flag in downtown Kyiv on July 22, 2025, during a demonstration calling for President Volodymyr Zelensky to veto a law that reduces the powers of Ukraine's anti-corruption agencies.

A new law placing Ukraine's two anti-corruption agencies under executive control raises the risk of further protests that could destabilize Zelensky's government and undermine its war effort.

In Ukraine, a Controversial Law Fuels Protests and Corruption Concerns

Asia-Pacific

China

Diplomats attend the 32nd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Regional Forum during the 58th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Kuala Lumpur on July 11, 2025. 

U.S.-China Relations

Chinese, Russian and U.S. participation in the summit shows that the Southeast Asian bloc will remain a key venue for diplomatic hedging and potential great power friction in the years ahead.

ASEAN Meeting Provides an Arena for Multipolar Competition

Australia

Germany

U.S. President Donald Trump on April 24 in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington. In an interview July 10, U.S. President Donald Trump suggested he would "have a major statement to make on Russia on Monday," perhaps representing a shift in his administration's policy.

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

The Weekly Rundown: Trump Speaks on Ukraine, Sweeping EU Budget Reform

Snapshots

A Ukrainian soldier works on an AN/TWQ-1 Avenger anti-aircraft missile system on Nov. 28, 2023, in Kyiv, Ukraine. 

Despite Trump's impatience with Russia's failure to de-escalate in Ukraine, the White House is highly unlikely to dramatically ramp up pressure in a way that significantly alters the Kremlin's calculus.

What Trump's Growing Frustration With Russia Means for U.S. Policy

Georgia

Georgian anti-government demonstrators attempt to block a highway entrance to the capital Tbilisi on Feb. 2, 2025

The government's efforts to suppress the opposition risk roiling its relations with the West, triggering more mass protests, and potentially enabling Russia to expand its influence in Georgia.

Georgia's Crackdown on Dissent Risks Drawing It Closer to Russia and Alienating the West

Armenia

Azerbaijan

A man walks past Azerbaijan's Embassy in Moscow on July 2, 2025. 

As the relationship between Azerbaijan and Russia sours, outside powers will embrace opportunities to increase their influence in the Caucasus.

 In the Caucasus, Russia's Sway Weakens Amid Quarrel With Azerbaijan

A Ukrainian soldier works on an Avenger AN/TWQ-1 anti-aircraft missile system on Nov. 28, 2023, in Kyiv, Ukraine.

Without new supplies of U.S. Patriot interceptors and precision-guided munitions, Ukraine will struggle to defend against Russia's escalating aerial attacks, which could eventually force it into an unfavorable peace deal.

Ukraine Grapples With a Freeze on U.S. Weapons Deliveries

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Rwanda

Iran

Israel

Israeli air defense systems are activated to intercept Iranian missiles over the Israeli city of Tel Aviv early on June 18, 2025. 

The Weekly Rundown: Israel-Iran Conflict Rages On, NATO Holds Annual Summit

Mali

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Malian counterpart Abdoulaye Diop hold a joint press conference following their meeting in Moscow, Russia, on May 20, 2022. 

While Russian military support to Mali is set to persist, the Sahelian country's security environment will likely continue to deteriorate amid jihadist groups' strong momentum.

What's Next for Mali as Russia's Wagner Group Pulls Out? 

Turkey

India

Pakistan

The Geopolitics of Trade

Global Trade

Turkey's export strategy necessitates trade partnerships with countries in many different spheres of influence, portending both risks and opportunities as Ankara attempts to maintain its neutral middle-power status.

The Geopolitics of Trade: Turkey's Export Strategy Hinges on Neutrality

Service members of Ukraine's 13th Khartia Brigade load a Vampire drone with food and ammunition supplies to be delivered to the infantry at the frontline on March 7, 2025, in the Kharkiv region of Ukraine. 

Ukraine's recent string of asymmetric attacks on Russian soil could make Moscow more flexible in negotiations, but it also risks diplomatic blowback that at least temporarily scuttles peace talks.

The Implications of Ukraine's Audacious Attacks on Russia

Mexico

South Korea

Poland

Ukrainian, U.S. and Russian delegates meet for peace talks in Istanbul, Turkey, on May 16, 2025. 

The Weekly Rundown: Ukraine-Russia Talks, Mexico's First-Ever Judicial Elections

<p>Despite being the largest country in the world by area, the Russian Federation occupies territory that is indefensible and unforgiving. The core of Russia, running from the Volga grain belts up through Moscow proper to the Baltic Sea, lacks any natural features to fortify it from attack. This is why the country has traditionally anchored its territory to major geographic barriers far from its core in an attempt to keep foreign powers distant. As a result, Russia has inevitably had to reach east across the frozen tundra of Siberia to the Pacific Ocean, southeast to the Tien Shen mountains of Central Asia, south to the Caucasus Mountains bordering Iran and Turkey, and finally west to the Carpathian Mountains in Central Europe. But, there is one major hole in this geographic expanse: The Northern European plane. The Northern European plane is a gap between the Carpathian Mountains and the Baltic sea which, at its narrowest, is 480 kilometers (300 miles) across. This narrow point, referred to as the Polish funnel, lies just West of Warsaw and reaches down Krakow in the south. Russia has faced three major attackers along this axis; Napoleon, Wilhelm II, and Hitler. Most recently, the expansion of NATO and the European Union into Central and Eastern Europe has raised Russian hackles. Moscow would much prefer to control the lands between Russia and the Polish funnel &mdash; pushing as far west as possible &mdash; knowing full well that once an attacker has passed that narrow chokepoint, it is an open march to Russia&#39;s heartland. For this reason, Moscow seeks to occupy or influence its borderlands, or at the very least, maintain their neutrality. Looking beyond its indefensible borders and largely hollow interior, Russia boasts a diverse population of 144,463,450 people and a powerful military. These armed forces, backed by an autocratic political system, help protect the country&#39;s unwieldy land mass. Russia&#39;s economy is inherently fragile and highly dependent on commodity exports ranging from grain to energy. The country is traditionally at its most powerful when a strong, heavy-handed leader is in charge, such as current Russian President Vladimir Putin. Despite this, though, the Kremlin must continually deal with internal political divisions, rising ethnic tensions and regional dissidence.</p>

SITUATION REPORTS

Russia, Ukraine: Trump Compresses Ceasefire Ultimatum Deadline, Signals Pivot to Economic Coercion

Russia, Ukraine: Envoys Meet for Third Time but Make Little Progress

France, Ukraine: Paris Announces Agreement To Manufacture Drones on Ukrainian Soil

Russia, Ukraine: Third Round of Negotiations Expected the Week of July 21

U.K., Russia: British Government Sanctions Russian Spies Over Hybrid Warfare

EU, Russia: EU Approves 18th Sanctions Package Against Russia

Russia, Ukraine: Russia 'Continues To Analyze' Trump's Sanctions Threat

Moldova: EU Sanctions Individuals and Organizations Accused of Destabilizing Country

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