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Military & Security

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

Iran

Europe

Politics

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

President Volodymyr Zelensky has directed Ukraine's ruling Servant of the People party to conduct a cabinet reshuffle affecting numerous ministries, the Kyiv Independent reported Sept. 4.

Ukraine: Zelensky Conducts Largest Cabinet Reshuffle Since 2022 Invasion

Speaking at a press conference, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he would present U.S. President Joe Biden, as well as presidential candidates Vice President Kamala Harris and ex-President Donald Trump, with a plan for Ukrainian victory next month, the Kyiv Independent reported Aug. 27. 

Ukraine, U.S.: Zelensky to Present Biden, Trump and Harris With Victory Plan 

Energy

Russia launched its largest air attack against Ukraine so far, using over 100 missiles (including hypersonics) and over 100 drones, and Ukraine’s air force claimed it shot down 102 missiles and 99 drones, The Kyiv Independent reported on Aug. 26.

Russia, Ukraine: Russia Conducts Largest Air Attack Against Ukraine, Targeting Energy Infrastructure

India

Economics

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Ukraine to hold talks with President Volodymyr Zelensky, urging him to engage in negotiations with Russia to end the war while offering India’s support as a friend in the peace process, The Economic Times reported on Aug. 23. 

India: Modi's Visit to Ukraine Yields Elevated Ties, Four Agreements

Russia shot down Ukrainian drones over the village of Vysoky in the northern portion of Russia's Murmansk region near the Olenya military airfield, The Moscow Times reported on Aug. 21.

Russia, Ukraine: Ukraine Attempts Long-Distance Strike in Russia's Murmansk Region

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.

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?

Israel

Palestinian Territories

Australia

Samoa

Federated States of Micronesia

Fiji

Kiribati

Marshall Islands

Nauru

New Zealand

Palau

Papua New Guinea

Solomon Islands

Tonga

Tuvalu

Vanuatu

France

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

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

Snapshots

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

Germany

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

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?

Kenya

South Africa

Venezuela

Saudi Arabia

China

U.S. President Joe Biden speaks during a press conference at the 75th NATO Summit in Washington, D.C., on July 11, 2024. 

U.S.-China Relations

Biden's exit from the U.S. presidential race will free him to pursue more aggressive action against Russia over Ukraine and increase pressure on Israel to end its war with Hamas. 

What To Expect from Biden's Foreign Policy Farewell Tour

U.S. President Joe Biden meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Washington D.C. on July 11, 2024.

The Western alliance's failure to provide Ukraine with decisive security guarantees and material support will likely enable Russia to maintain its war until Kyiv enters talks on Moscow's terms. 

The NATO Summit Leaves Ukraine Wanting

Japan

A banner reading "public services in danger, let's vote" on July 5 in Paris.

The Weekly Rundown: French Legislative Runoffs, a NATO Summit in Washington

Peru

Moldova

The 133rd session of the Committee of Ministers at the European Council on May 17 in Strasbourg France. European Union leaders will gather June 27-28  in Brussels for the first European Council summit since the June 6-9 European Parliament elections.

The Weekly Rundown: Ukraine and Moldova Begin EU Accession Talks, Peru's President Visits China

Malaysia

Switzerland

President Cyril Ramaphosa is sworn in as member of parliament during the first sitting of the new South African parliament on June 14 in Cape Town, South Africa. Ramaphosa will be inaugurated to a second term in a ceremony scheduled to take place June 19 in Pretoria.

The Weekly Rundown: Ukraine's Peace Summit, South Africa's Inauguration

<p>Ukraine is the quintessential borderland state. The country borders three former Soviet states (Russia, Belarus and Moldova) and four countries in the European Union (Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania). Ukraine also has a coastline along the Black Sea to the south. Ukraine sits on the Northern European Plain, the area that has historically served as an invasion superhighway going east and west. Beyond its strategic location, Ukraine&#39;s geography has only facilitated such invasions. The country consists of flat and fertile plains, with the exception of the Carpathian Mountain range that arches into the far west of the country. But even these mountains can be penetrated and have not posed a significant barrier to invasion. Given such lack of barriers, Ukraine&#39;s wide-open geography is inextricably linked to that of Russia. Ukraine&#39;s agricultural and industrial belts have traditionally been integrated with Russia&#39;s, and Ukraine serves as the primary transit state for Russian energy exports to Europe. Due to its location and abundance of agricultural and mineral resources, Ukraine has been contested between regional powers for centuries. This competition is currently playing out in an extreme form today, with a Western-backed government confronting a Russian-backed uprising in eastern Ukraine. Further complicating the situation is the fact that Ukraine has several population and political cores, including Lviv in the west, Kiev in the center and the eastern cities of Donetsk and Luhansk. These different cores make administering Ukraine difficult. The current crisis in Ukraine is therefore merely the latest iteration of the country&#39;s internal divisions and the long-standing East-West conflict over the country. Maintaining sovereignty and unity in the face of this competition is Ukraine&#39;s primary geographic challenge.</p>

SITUATION REPORTS

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

Iran: Tehran Sends Russia Ballistic Missiles for Use in Ukraine

Ukraine: Zelensky Conducts Largest Cabinet Reshuffle Since 2022 Invasion

Ukraine, U.S.: Zelensky to Present Biden, Trump and Harris With Victory Plan

Russia, Ukraine: Russia Conducts Largest Air Attack Against Ukraine, Targeting Energy Infrastructure

India: Modi's Visit to Ukraine Yields Elevated Ties, Four Agreements

Russia, Ukraine: Ukraine Attempts Long-Distance Strike in Russia's Murmansk Region

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