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Politics

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

At a press conference, U.S. President Donald Trump said he was more confident in achieving a settlement of the Russia-Ukraine war after the Feb. 18 talks between Russian and U.S. delegations in Saudi Arabia, adding that he would probably meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin around the end of February, Reuters reported on Feb. 19. 

U.S., Russia, Ukraine: Trump Criticizes Zelensky Ahead of Putin Summit

Europe

Economics

Military & Security

Ambassadors from the European Union's 27 member states unanimously approved the bloc's 16th sanctions package against Russia since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Politico reported on Feb. 19.

Europe, Russia, Ukraine: EU Approves New Sanctions Against Russia, Prepares Military Aid for Ukraine

France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Poland, Italy, Spain and the European Commission issued a joint statement insisting on being included in any future negotiations concerning Ukraine's fate following a meeting with Ukraine's foreign minister in Paris, France, Reuters reported on Feb. 12. 

Europe, Ukraine: Europe Demands a Seat at the Negotiating Table for Ukraine

U.S. President Donald Trump held his first officially recognized phone conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin and, immediately afterward, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky since retaking office on Jan. 20, Reuters reported on Feb. 12.

U.S., Russia, Ukraine: Trump Holds First Official Phone Calls With Putin, Zelensky

On a surprise trip to Moscow, U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, secured the release of an American held in Russia, Marc Fogel, a teacher held for more than three years on drug charges, The New York Times reported on Feb. 11. 

U.S., Russia: Trump Envoy Visits Moscow, Secures Release of American

Retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, U.S. President Donald Trump's envoy for Ukraine and Russia, plans to present the president with options to end the Russia-Ukraine war in the coming weeks, Bloomberg reported on Feb. 11.

Ukraine, U.S., Russia: Ukraine Envoy To Present Trump Options in Coming Weeks

U.S. President Donald Trump said his administration was looking to trade continued U.S. military support to Ukraine for "rare earths and other things," the Financial Times reported on Feb. 4.

Ukraine, U.S., Russia: Trump Wants Ukrainian Minerals in Return for U.S. Military Support

Moldova

Energy

Moldova will send 3 million cubic meters of natural gas to its separatist enclave Transdniestria starting Feb. 1, the first fuel supply to the area since Russian gas transit through Ukraine halted on Jan. 1, Reuters reported on Jan. 31.

Moldova: Transdniestria To Receive First Gas Shipment Following EU Grant

Columns

On Geopolitics

Israel

Palestinian Territories

Armenia

Azerbaijan

Crowds of Palestinians gather to receive food outside a U.N. aid distribution center in the Gazan city of Deir al-Balah on Nov. 2, 2024.

Israel-Hamas Conflict

Social Issues

The displacement of any Palestinians from the Gaza Strip will further erode post-World War II norms against population transfers, laying the groundwork for future global conflicts.

Trump's Gaza Plan Risks Further Eroding Global Constraints on Population Removals

Assessments

(Left to right) U.S., Saudi and Russian officials attend a meeting in Riyadh on Feb. 18, 2025.

While the talks open the door to a ceasefire, the exclusion of Ukraine and its European partners creates the risk of a deal that is not enforced and fails to end the fighting.

What To Expect From U.S.-Russia Talks on Ukraine

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Ethiopia

Kenya

Rwanda

Lebanon

Sri Lanka

Damage on Feb. 13 in the Jabaliya refugee camp in northern Gaza.

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

The Weekly Rundown: Mideast Ceasefires and Arab Gaza Proposals, the AU Summit

Ecuador

Jordan

India

Jordan's King Abdullah II speaks to the press in the Cross Hall of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 12, 2024.

The Weekly Rundown: Trump Meets With India and Jordan's Leaders, Ecuador Holds Elections

Media

Podcasts

Is the Russia-Ukraine war Putin's Vietnam?

Essential Geopolitics: The Implications of U.S.-Russia Talks on War With Ukraine Part II

Sub-Saharan Africa

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Iraq

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Yemen

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China

Indonesia

North Macedonia

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Serbia

Albania

Kosovo

South Asia

Afghanistan

Bangladesh

The lobby of the headquarters for the U.S. Agency for International Development is seen on Feb. 3, 2025, in Washington, D.C. 

Cuts to U.S.-funded humanitarian and development programs could worsen global health outcomes, destabilize security environments, accelerate democratic backsliding, and create opportunities for rival powers to expand their influence.

The Global Implications of Trump's Foreign Aid Cuts

Is the Russia-Ukraine War Putin's Vietnam?

Essential Geopolitics: The Implications of U.S.-Russia Talks on War With Ukraine, Part I

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky looks on during a joint press conference with Poland's prime minister in Lviv on Dec. 17, 2024.

Despite growing pressure from the U.S. and Russia, Zelensky will resist proposals for Ukrainian elections and/or a ceasefire if he believes the terms would be political suicide for him and an affront to his country's interests.

How Will Peace Talks and Potential Elections Impact Ukraine's Political Stability? 

Russian President Vladimir Putin gives a speech during a state awards ceremony at the Kremlin in Moscow on Dec. 16, 2024.

The negotiations are unlikely to quickly yield a ceasefire, as Trump pressures the Kremlin for a deal with sanctions pressure and the prospect of continued support to Ukraine.

How Will U.S.-Russia Talks on Ukraine Play Out in the Months Ahead?

Germany

A compressor gas station of the Yamal–Europe pipeline is seen on Feb. 19, 2022, in Wloclawek, Poland. 

The expiration of the Russia-Ukraine transit deal underscores Europe's ongoing efforts to sever its reliance on Russian resources, with far-reaching implications for energy markets and geopolitics in the region and beyond. 

The End of Russian Gas via Ukraine Cements Europe's New Energy Landscape

Angola

Cote d'Ivoire

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Nigeria

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Canada

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Algeria

Iran

Kuwait

Qatar

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Tunisia

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United Arab Emirates

Taiwan

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Pakistan

World map on a dark digital background representing global communication and global finances.

Cyber

RANE's Top 10 Risks for 2025 highlights high-impact, low-probability risks and trends from the annual forecast presented in more extreme terms.

RANE's Top 10 Risks for 2025

North Korea

As 2025 approaches, we look back at the previous year and consider the top five events as measured by geopolitical impact.

Environment, Science & Technology

Global Elections

Science & Technology

2024: A Geopolitical Review

<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., Russia, Ukraine: Trump Criticizes Zelensky Ahead of Putin Summit

Europe, Russia, Ukraine: EU Approves New Sanctions Against Russia, Prepares Military Aid for Ukraine

Europe, Ukraine: Europe Demands a Seat at the Negotiating Table for Ukraine

U.S., Russia, Ukraine: Trump Holds First Official Phone Calls With Putin, Zelensky

U.S., Russia: Trump Envoy Visits Moscow, Secures Release of American

Ukraine, U.S., Russia: Ukraine Envoy To Present Trump Options in Coming Weeks

Ukraine, U.S., Russia: Trump Wants Ukrainian Minerals in Return for U.S. Military Support

Moldova: Transdniestria To Receive First Gas Shipment Following EU Grant

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