Mali

Russia

Military & Security

Politics

The Sept. 17 attack by militants of al Qaeda affiliate Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, or JNIM, on Mali's capital Bamako caused the death of at least 77 people and wounded over 255 others, France 24 reported on Sept. 19, quoting security sources. 

Mali: Over 70 Killed, 250 Wounded in Al Qaeda Affiliate Attack on Bamako

Al Qaeda-affiliated group Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, or JNIM, claimed responsibility for attacks on the Faladie military camp and a military base at the Modibo Keita International Airport (also known as Bamako-Senou International Airport), Reuters reported on Sept. 17.

Mali: Jihadists Target Military Camp and Other Sites in Capital

United States

Moldova

The U.S. State Department accused Russian state-backed media outlet RT of engaging in covert influence activities to undermine elections, according to a Sept. 13 statement from Secretary of State Antony Blinken and an accompanying fact sheet. 

Russia: U.S. Accuses RT of Covert Influence and Military Procurement

Venezuela

Iran

China

Czech Republic

Spain

Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello announced that the government arrested three U.S. citizens, two Spaniards and a Czech national for their alleged participation in a conspiracy to destabilize the administration, El Pais reported on Sept. 14. 

Venezuela: Alleged Anti-Government Plot Portends Crackdown on Opposition

United Kingdom

Ukraine

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

U.S. President Joe Biden will discuss relaxing restrictions on strikes inside Russia when he meets U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer Sept. 13, Bloomberg reported Sept. 12. 

U.S., U.K., Russia, Ukraine: U.S. and U.K. Preparing to Relax Restrictions on Strikes Inside Russia

Russia's Defense Ministry said Ukraine carried out its largest drone attack on Moscow so far, targeting civilian transport infrastructure in the Russian capital and eight other regions of the country, Reuters reported Sept. 10.

Russia, Ukraine: Ukraine Conducts Largest Drone Attack Yet Against Moscow Region

Latvia

On Sept. 8, a Russian military drone crashed inside Latvia 60 miles from the country's border with Belarus, from where it entered, Reuters reported Sept. 9.

Latvia, Russia: Russian Drone Violates Latvian Airspace 

Europe

U.S.-Iran Relations

After months of EU and U.S. warnings, Iran sent Russia short-range ballistic missiles for use in the Ukraine war, The Wall Street Journal reported on Sept. 6, citing U.S. and European officials.

Iran: Tehran Sends Russia Ballistic Missiles for Use in Ukraine

Assessments

A man looks at the road blocked by striped tape on December 13, 2023, in Kyiv, Ukraine, following two nights of ballistic missile attacks on the city.

Energy

Ukraine faces its most challenging post-invasion winter yet due to intensified Russian attacks on energy infrastructure that may drive more Ukrainians to flee and worsen the country's manpower shortage.

Ukraine Faces Harshest Winter Yet Amid Intensified Russian Attacks on Energy Infrastructure

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during the Summit on Peace in Ukraine on June 15, 2024, in Lucerne, Switzerland. 

If elected U.S. president, Harris would likely initially maintain Biden's approach to Ukraine, but new White House officials, political pressure and events on the battlefield could change her administration's policies and strategy.

How Could a Harris Presidency Impact the War in Ukraine?

Germany

France

Italy

A Russian warship transits the Neva River in Saint Petersburg, Russia.

Cyber

Russia's risk tolerance for physical and cyber operations against Western targets appears to be increasing, raising the likelihood of more disruptive and/or violent attacks.

A More Brazen Russia Slowly Raises the Specter of a NATO Confrontation

Sub-Saharan Africa

Burkina Faso

Cameroon

Central African Republic

Chad

Cote d'Ivoire

Kenya

Niger

Sudan

Middle East and North Africa

Libya

Russian President Vladimir Putin greets Burkina Faso's junta leader Capt. Ibrahim Traore during a welcoming ceremony at the second Russia-Africa summit in Saint Petersburg, Russia, on July 27, 2023.

Economics

Competition against the West will fuel Russia's outreach to Africa, but jihadist expansion in the Sahel will eventually force Moscow into tough policy decisions.

What the Future Holds for Russia in Africa

Israel

Palestinian Territories

Mongolia

Supporters attend a campaign event for the left-wing Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) in Erfurt, eastern Germany, on Aug. 29, 2024, ahead of upcoming regional elections.

Israel-Hamas Conflict

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

The Weekly Rundown: An Africa-China Summit, State Elections in Eastern Germany

Turkey

Cambodia

Japan

Uzbekistan

Turkmenistan

Kazakhstan

Kyrgyzstan

Afghanistan

The Geopolitics of Water

Environment, Science & Technology

Science & Technology

The escalating impacts of climate change and water scarcity will inflame tensions between Central Asian countries, raising the risk of violent state conflict in the coming decades. 

The Looming Threat of Central Asian 'Water Wars'

Australia

Samoa

Federated States of Micronesia

Fiji

Kiribati

Marshall Islands

Nauru

New Zealand

Palau

Papua New Guinea

Solomon Islands

Tonga

Tuvalu

Vanuatu

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky holds a flag during a ceremony on Ukraine's Independence Day on Aug. 24, 2023, in Kyiv, Ukraine. 

The Weekly Rundown: Gaza Cease-Fire Talks Resume, Ukraine Observes Third Post-Invasion Independence Day

Snapshots

India

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives for a working session on the second day of the G-7 summit in Schloss Elmau, Germany, on June 27, 2022. 

The trip is likely aimed at addressing backlash from the prime minister's recent visit to Russia, as India tries to mitigate Western criticism and reinforce its neutrality in the Ukraine conflict.

Modi's Upcoming Visit to Ukraine Reflects India's Balancing Act

Columns

On Geopolitics

A recreational sailing yacht suspected of use in the sabotage of undersea gas pipelines stands in dry dock on the headland of Bug on Ruegen Island on March 17, 2023, near Dranske, Germany. In a high-profile article published late on Aug. 14, The Wall Street Journal provided the latest and arguably most detailed publicly available account that Ukraine was responsible for sabotaging the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines under the Baltic Sea in late September 2022.

The Wall Street Journal provided the latest and arguably most detailed publicly available account that Ukraine was responsible for sabotaging the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines, a reminder to us of the importance of acknowledging and doing our best to mitigate our analytic biases.

What New Revelations About the Nord Stream Attack Can Remind Us About Analytical Biases

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev waits to greet foreign leaders during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization member states leaders' summit in Astana on July 4, 2024.

Continued liberalization will strengthen Kazakhstan's economic outlook in the coming years, but close ties to Russia and China may stifle foreign investment and limit growth.

Will Economic Liberalization Be Enough To Attract Foreign Investment in Kazakhstan?

Media

Podcasts

How would a Trump administration's Ukraine policy differ from a Harris administration's Ukraine policy? 

Essential Geopolitics: What a Trump Presidency Would Mean for the Russia-Ukraine War

Then-U.S. President Donald Trump speaks with media on Sept. 21, 2017, before meeting Ukraine's then-president Petro Poroshenko on the sidelines of the 72nd U.N. General Assembly. 

If Trump returns to the White House, he would likely deprioritize U.S. support for Ukraine, weakening Kyiv's negotiating position vis-a-vis Russia while dimming the prospects of temporary or lasting peace.

How Could a Second Trump Presidency Impact the War in Ukraine?

<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

Mali: Over 70 Killed, 250 Wounded in Al Qaeda Affiliate Attack on Bamako

Mali: Jihadists Target Military Camp and Other Sites in Capital

Russia: U.S. Accuses RT of Covert Influence and Military Procurement

Venezuela: Alleged Anti-Government Plot Portends Crackdown on Opposition

U.S., U.K., Russia, Ukraine: U.S. and U.K. Preparing to Relax Restrictions on Strikes Inside Russia

Russia, Ukraine: Ukraine Conducts Largest Drone Attack Yet Against Moscow Region

Latvia, Russia: Russian Drone Violates Latvian Airspace

Iran: Tehran Sends Russia Ballistic Missiles for Use in Ukraine

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