<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

Eurasia

Ukraine

Russia

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

Military & Security

Politics

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

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

Argentina

Bolivia

Brazil

Canada

Paraguay

Uruguay

Venezuela

Lebanon

United Arab Emirates

Indonesia

Japan

Singapore

South Korea

Vietnam

The Geopolitics of Trade

Economics

Global Trade

Mercosur is increasingly opening its markets in pursuit of free trade agreements with partners around the world, particularly as U.S. protectionism shifts global trade dynamics.

The Geopolitics of Trade: What Changing Trade Dynamics Mean for Mercosur

Supporters of Bosnian Serb separatist leader Milorad Dodik watch him speak in Banja Luka, Republika Srpska, on Feb. 26, 2025. 

Republika Srpska's separatist leader will likely defy a ruling to step down, causing institutional paralysis and Western backlash, but early elections or a unilateral declaration of independence are also possible.

The Potential Outcomes of Bosnia's Emerging Political Crisis

Employees work at a production line as German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Defence Minister Boris Pistorius attend the groundbreaking ceremony for a new munitions factory of German defense contractor Rheinmetall on Feb. 12, 2024, in Unterluess, Germany.

The Security Action for Europe (SAFE) loan facility will enable joint investment in critical capabilities -- such as missile defense, drones and military mobility -- while promoting joint procurement and cross-border collaboration.

How the EU's SAFE Loans Package Will Reshape Europe's Defense Industry

Uzbekistan

Tajikistan

Afghanistan

Pakistan

The flag of Afghanistan sits on the Afghan embassy in Moscow on July 4, 2025. 

As Afghanistan's neighbors deepen ties with the Taliban and Western states remain cautious, a widening diplomatic divide threatens to complicate efforts to address the country's worsening crises and regional security risks.

The Growing International Divide Over Taliban Ties Will Risk Regional Stability

Cambodia

Thailand

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. 

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

Columns

On Geopolitics

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 digital illustration shows a digital human head overlaying the EU flag.

Cyber

Environment, Science & Technology

Growing internal and U.S. pressure will likely force Brussels to delay or amend its landmark AI law, fueling short-term regulatory uncertainty that could hinder the technology's development in Europe.

The Fate of the EU's Ambitious AI Act

Snapshots

The EU flag is seen on stacked cargo containers.

The framework deal avoids an escalation of tit-for-tat tariffs that would have strained both economies, but various unresolved issues could still reignite transatlantic trade tensions in the future.

New U.S.-EU Deal Averts Full-Blown Trade War -- For Now

Mexico

China

Taiwan

A Cambodian soldier stands on a truck with a rocket launcher in Cambodia's Oddar Meanchey province, which borders Thailand, on July 25, 2025. 

The Weekly Rundown: U.S. Tariff Deadline Passes, Thai-Cambodian Border Tensions Persist

U.S.-China Relations

Iran

Energy

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will meet with officials from France, Germany and the United Kingdom, known collectively as the E3, during the week of Aug. 24-30 to discuss nuclear negotiations and sanctions, Reuters reported on Aug. 22. 

Iran: Tehran To Discuss Nuclear, Sanctions Issues With Germany, France, U.K.

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'

Under the final U.S.-EU framework trade agreement, the United States will lower its 27.5% tariffs on European automobiles to 15% once the European Union introduces legislation to lower industrial tariffs and provide preferential market access for some U.S. agricultural goods, according to a joint statement on the matter released on Aug. 21. 

U.S., EU: Joint Statement on Trade Deal Framework Details Auto, Pharmaceutical, Chip Tariffs

The United Kingdom's Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds will visit China in the second week of September, marking the first meeting of the U.K.-China Joint Economic and Trade Commission since its suspension in 2019, Politico reported on Aug. 19.

U.K., China: U.K. Business and Trade Secretary Reynolds To Visit Beijing in September

The United Kingdom walked back a demand for Apple to provide law enforcement with a backdoor that could circumvent encryption for any users' data stored in the company's cloud services, U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard stated in a social media post on X on Aug. 18.

U.K., U.S.: London Abandons Order for Apple To Create Backdoor in Encryption Services 

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

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

European leaders, meeting virtually with U.S. President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, agreed on five principles for the Aug. 15 summit between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, The New York Times reported on Aug. 13.

Ukraine, Russia: Allies Secure Ceasefire-First Pledge From Trump Ahead of Alaska Summit

Europe

SITUATION REPORTS

Iran: Tehran To Discuss Nuclear, Sanctions Issues With Germany, France, U.K.

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

U.S., EU: Joint Statement on Trade Deal Framework Details Auto, Pharmaceutical, Chip Tariffs

U.K., China: U.K. Business and Trade Secretary Reynolds To Visit Beijing in September

U.K., U.S.: London Abandons Order for Apple To Create Backdoor in Encryption Services

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

Ukraine, Russia: Allies Secure Ceasefire-First Pledge From Trump Ahead of Alaska Summit

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