<p>To the west of Eurasia lays Europe, a region predisposed to division. It is surrounded on nearly all sides by islands and peninsulas that make it difficult for Europe to cohere. The northern half of the continent, moreover, sits on a plain whose short, meandering rivers tend to empower countries without forcing them to work with others. The southern half is situated on more mountainous terrain that has historically impeded the creation of strong, unified economies. As a result, Europe is a continent riven by pockets of distinct cultures whose differences are all too often irreconcilable.</p>

Europe is a continent riven by pockets of distinct cultures whose differences are all too often irreconcilable.

Europe

Belize

Andorra

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Czech Republic

Denmark

Estonia

Finland

France

Germany

Greece

Holy See

Latvia

Liechtenstein

Lithuania

Luxembourg

Malta

North Macedonia

San Marino

Sweden

United Kingdom

Bulgaria

Portugal

Serbia

Croatia

Poland

Romania

Cyprus

Norway

Austria

Slovakia

Albania

Slovenia

Netherlands

Switzerland

Spain

Montenegro

Monaco

Italy

Ireland

Iceland

Hungary

Kosovo

Beyond Quantitative Easing

The Ukraine Conflict

The Politics of Pipelines

EU: Regional Blocs

Divided EU Foreign Policies

Brexit

The Fate of the Eurozone

Banking

Crossing Borders

Globalization

European Disintegration

Echoes of the Cold War

The Fight for Russia’s Borderlands

Assessments

United States

Israel

Palestinian Territories

Indonesia

Vietnam

Ukraine

Russia

India

U.S. President Donald Trump (C) holds up his signature on the founding charter of the Board of Peace among other world leaders at the World Economic Forum on Jan. 22 in Davos, Switzerland.

Israel-Hamas Conflict

Military & Security

Politics

Russia-Ukraine 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: The Board of Peace Convenes, Russia-Ukraine-U.S. Talks in Geneva

The U.S. and the EU flags are seen side by side on Nov. 21, 2025, in Brussels, Belgium. 

Energy

By replacing Russian gas with U.S. LNG, the EU risks becoming reliant on another systemically central external supplier at a time of growing geopolitical instability and transatlantic tension.

The Strategic Risks of Europe's Pivot to U.S. LNG

Snapshots

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer leaves Downing Street on Feb. 2, 2026, in London. 

Economics

While the crisis could see Labour elect a new leader in the coming months, broad party consensus and fiscal constraints make sharp policy shifts unlikely, limiting the risk of sustained market volatility.

In the U.K., Starmer's Leadership Struggles Reach a Tipping Point

Turkey

A digital satellite illustration shows Europe at night.

The EU enlargement chief's upcoming visit to Turkey signals an attempt to balance cautious engagement with clear strategic interests, rather than an imminent breakthrough on the country's stalled accession process.

Understanding the EU's Strategic Reengagement With Turkey

French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu speaks in parliament after surviving two no-confidence votes in Paris, France on Jan. 23 23, 2026. 

The budget's likely adoption will keep the minority government in office, but deep political fragmentation will limit policy action and sustain the risk of early elections, keeping France's fiscal trajectory uncertain.

The Risks to France's Fiscal Outlook Beyond the 2026 Budget

Columns

On Geopolitics

The flags of NATO, the EU and Poland are seen next to each other. 

Despite achieving strategic indispensability and significant military power, Poland's political influence in the EU and NATO has lagged, creating a paradox in which it is critical to executing Western strategies but peripheral to decision-making.

Has Poland Missed Its Shot at Becoming a Major EU Power?

China

Japan

South Korea

Egyptian trucks and heavy machinery on Oct. 26, 2025, on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing with the Gaza Strip.

The Weekly Rundown: A Gaza Border Reopening, EU Leaders Visit India

Greenland

The HDMS Knud Rasmussen ship of the Danish Navy patrols the waters off of Nuuk, Greenland, on Jan. 20, 2026. 

Global Trade

Trump's threatened tariffs over his bid to acquire Greenland have turned the U.S.-EU trade dispute into a high-stakes geopolitical confrontation, raising the risk of a sustained trade war that would severely strain transatlantic economic ties and NATO cohesion.

Trump's Greenland Tariff Threat Escalates Transatlantic Tensions

U.S. protectionism has dramatically weakened the rules-based, multilateral trade regime established after World War II, driving governments to increasingly view trade through a national security lens rather than purely an economic one.

The Geopolitics of Trade: Conclusion

A sniper police officer on the Congress hotel during the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum on Jan. 24, 2025, in the Alpine resort of Davos, Switzerland.

The Weekly Rundown: Davos, Europe Steps Up Greenland Deployments

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russia, Ukraine and the United States would hold the next round of peace talks in Geneva, Switzerland, on Feb. 17-18, with presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky leading the Russian delegation, Russian state news agency TASS reported on Feb. 13.

Russia, Ukraine, U.S: Geneva Talks To Resume Feb. 17-18

The 62nd Munich Security Conference opened on Feb. 13 in Munich, Germany, with an address by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

Germany: Munich Security Conference Kicks Off With Speech by Friedrich Merz

China's commerce ministry finalized its tariffs on European dairy products at a maximum of 11.7%, down from the preliminary tariff released in December 2025 that topped out at 43%, Bloomberg reported on Feb. 12.

China, Europe: Beijing Reduces Dairy Tariffs in Softer Approach to Trade Talks

Uzbekistan

Tajikistan

Turkmenistan

Kazakhstan

Kyrgyzstan

Germany hosted the foreign ministers of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan in Berlin, reaffirming their Strategic Regional Partnership and pressing for intensified cooperation against sanctions evasion tied to Russia's war in Ukraine, Qazinform reported on Feb. 11.

Central Asia, Germany: Berlin Presses Central Asia on Sanctions as It Deepens Strategic Partnership

The European Parliament's trade committee agreed on a common position on the July 2025 EU-U.S. trade framework agreement, backing amendments ahead of a plenary vote, Politico reported Feb. 10. 

EU, U.S.: European Parliament Backs Safeguards in EU-U.S. Tariff Deal, Paving Way for Plenary Vote

Hong Kong SAR, China

A Hong Kong national security court sentenced the 78-year-old media tycoon and British dual-citizen Jimmy Lai to 20 years in prison on charges of foreign collusion and sedition, Reuters reported on Feb. 8.

Hong Kong: Lai Case Shows Political Assimilation and Will Strain U.S., U.K. Ties

Qatar

QatarEnergy is delaying the startup of its expansion of the North Field East liquefied natural gas project until at least the fourth quarter of 2026 and potentially early 2027, Bloomberg reported on Feb. 9. 

Qatar: QatarEnergy's LNG Expansion Project Start-Up Delayed to at Least Q4

China said it was open to resuming dialogue with Lithuania after Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene said the country's 2021 decision to allow Taiwan to open a de facto embassy in Vilnius was a mistake, Reuters reported Feb. 6.

Lithuania, China: Vilnius Signals Shift Toward Normalizing Relations With Beijing

Europe

SITUATION REPORTS

Russia, Ukraine, U.S: Geneva Talks To Resume Feb. 17-18

Germany: Munich Security Conference Kicks Off With Speech by Friedrich Merz

China, Europe: Beijing Reduces Dairy Tariffs in Softer Approach to Trade Talks

Central Asia, Germany: Berlin Presses Central Asia on Sanctions as It Deepens Strategic Partnership

EU, U.S.: European Parliament Backs Safeguards in EU-U.S. Tariff Deal, Paving Way for Plenary Vote

Hong Kong: Lai Case Shows Political Assimilation and Will Strain U.S., U.K. Ties

Qatar: QatarEnergy's LNG Expansion Project Start-Up Delayed to at Least Q4

Lithuania, China: Vilnius Signals Shift Toward Normalizing Relations With Beijing

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