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Military & Security

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

The governments of Hungary and Slovakia sent a letter to the European Commission saying that Ukraine's recent attacks against the Druzhba oil pipeline "severely threaten the energy security" of both countries and are "totally unacceptable," Reuters reported on Aug. 22.

Hungary, Slovakia: Ukraine’s Attacks on Druzhba Oil Pipeline Labeled 'Totally Unacceptable'

Ukrainian drones have disabled roughly 10% of Russian refining capacity since early July, prompting the Kremlin to impose a nationwide gasoline export ban to protect shrinking domestic supplies, the Financial Times reported on Aug. 21.

Russia, Ukraine: Ukrainian Drone Strikes Force Russia To Halt Gasoline Exports, Drive Domestic Shortages

Politics

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov questioned Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's legitimacy, rejected Europe-led security initiatives as hostile, ruled out any foreign troop presence in Ukraine and insisted that future peace talks be based on the 2022 Istanbul framework, Reuters reported on Aug. 21.

Russia, Ukraine: Lavrov Questions Zelensky’s Legitimacy, Pushes 'Collective Guarantees'

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Western-led talks on security guarantees for Ukraine are "a road to nowhere" without Russia's participation, Reuters reported on Aug 20. 

Russia, Ukraine: Lavrov Pushes Moscow's Format for Peace Talks

Russian crude oil deliveries to Hungary and Slovakia via the Druzhba pipeline were suspended on Aug. 18, Reuters reported the same day, citing officials from both European countries who attributed the disruption to Ukrainian strikes on a transformer station.

Hungary, Slovakia: Russian Crude Flows Via Druzhba Pipeline Halted Following Ukrainian Attack

United States

Europe

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and some of his main European allies will meet with U.S. President Donald Trump later on Aug. 18 to discuss the Russia-Ukraine war, Bloomberg reported on Aug. 17.

Ukraine, U.S.: Zelensky and European Allies To Meet With Trump Later on Aug. 18

U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin met for nearly three hours alongside top officials at a summit in Alaska in a meeting that Trump called "extremely productive" but resulted in no ceasefire deal in Ukraine, The New York Times reported on Aug. 15.

Russia, U.S.: Summit Between Putin and Trump Ends Without a Deal

U.S. President Donald Trump said he does not expect his Aug. 15 meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska to lead to an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine, saying the summit is mainly to prepare for possible follow-up talks, Reuters reported on Aug. 14. 

Russia, Ukraine: Trump Downplays Ceasefire Prospects Ahead of Alaska Summit

Assessments

Eurasia

Trump and Zelensky at the White House West Wing in Washington, DC, on August 18, 2025.

Even as President Trump floats the possibility of a trilateral summit with Putin and Zelensky, a breakthrough in negotiations is unlikely given the Kremlin's noncommittal response to the Aug. 18 White House talks. 

Despite Flurry of U.S. Diplomacy, a Ukraine Peace Deal Will Remain Elusive

Columns

On Geopolitics

U.S. President Donald Trump (left) and Russian President Vladimir Putin pose ahead of a meeting in Helsinki, Finland, on July 16, 2018. 

As Putin and Trump prepare to meet in Alaska, the main risk for Ukraine is a U.S.-Russia deal that cements major territorial losses while offering weak security guarantees, leaving it vulnerable to future Russian aggression.

Putin-Trump Summit: The Risks for Ukraine

Snapshots

U.S. President Donald Trump (left) and Russian President Vladimir Putin arrive at a press conference after their summit on July 16, 2018, in Helsinki, Finland.

The meeting risks sidelining Ukraine and enabling Russia to delay sanctions, consolidate battlefield gains, and advance its strategic interests through a U.S.-Russia peace framework.

What To Expect From the Upcoming Trump-Putin Summit

Cambodia

Thailand

Poland

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in the Oval Office of the White House on July 22, 2025. 

Global Trade

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

The Weekly Rundown: Last-Minute U.S. Trade Talks, a New Polish President

Lithuania

Germany

Finland

Latvia

Denmark

Estonia

Sweden

Norway

Belarus

A view in Rostock, Germany, of the first exit of warships for the NATO exercise BALTOPS in the Baltic Sea on June 5, 2025. 

In response to Russian aggression, NATO is seeking to establish strategic control over the Baltic Sea via rearmament and more assertive posturing, creating an environment where the risk of miscalculation grows exponentially.

Baltic on the Brink: The New Flashpoint in Europe's Confrontation With Russia

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

Australia

China

United Kingdom

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.

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

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

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

Canada

Japan

France

Italy

An image shows a row of flags from the G7 members.

The June 15-17 summit will provide an opportunity for the bloc to discuss trade tensions and the war in Ukraine, but the meeting is more likely to expose transatlantic divisions over Trump's tariffs and reluctance to pressure Russia.

What To Expect From the First G7 Summit Following Trump's Return to the White House

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

<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

Hungary, Slovakia: Ukraine’s Attacks on Druzhba Oil Pipeline Labeled 'Totally Unacceptable'

Russia, Ukraine: Ukrainian Drone Strikes Force Russia To Halt Gasoline Exports, Drive Domestic Shortages

Russia, Ukraine: Lavrov Questions Zelensky’s Legitimacy, Pushes 'Collective Guarantees'

Russia, Ukraine: Lavrov Pushes Moscow's Format for Peace Talks

Hungary, Slovakia: Russian Crude Flows Via Druzhba Pipeline Halted Following Ukrainian Attack

Ukraine, U.S.: Zelensky and European Allies To Meet With Trump Later on Aug. 18

Russia, U.S.: Summit Between Putin and Trump Ends Without a Deal

Russia, Ukraine: Trump Downplays Ceasefire Prospects Ahead of Alaska Summit

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