North Korea

South Korea

Military & Security

Politics

South Korean unification minister Chung Dong-young expressed "regret" over recent civilian drone incursions into North Korea and announced three measures to prevent future incidents, including reinstating a no-fly zone near the border, the Korean Broadcasting System reported on Feb. 19.

Korean Peninsula: Seoul's Charm Offensive Bears Modest Fruit With Pyongyang

United States

Indonesia

Vietnam

Economics

Energy

Three Vietnamese airlines announced about $37 billion worth of Boeing aircraft purchases and related financing and engine agreements as Communist Party chief To Lam visited Washington to finalize the two countries' larger trade deals and attend U.S. President Donald Trump's inaugural Board of Peace meeting, state media Bao Chinh Phu reported on Feb. 19.

Vietnam, Indonesia, U.S.: Trade Diplomacy Anchored in Big Ticket Industrial Deals

Palestinian Territories

Over 40 countries' representatives met in Washington for the first meeting of U.S. President Donald Trump's Board of Peace, which will oversee aid distribution and reconstruction in the Gaza Strip, AP reported on Feb. 19.

U.S.: Washington Hosts First Board of Peace Summit

Peru

Peru's Congress voted 64-46 to elect legislator Jose Maria Balcazar as the country's new interim president late on Feb. 18, making him the country's eighth president since 2016, Reuters reported the same day. 

Peru: Congress Votes In Left-Wing Interim President

China

Taiwan

White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt on Feb. 18 declined to comment on a reporter's question about U.S. President Donald Trump's claim on Feb. 16 that he had talked to Chinese President Xi Jinping about arms sales to Taiwan and that they would make a determination on the matter soon, the South China Morning Post reported on Feb. 19. 

U.S., Taiwan, China: Trump Considering Delaying Arms Sales to Taiwan

U.S.-China Relations

Nigeria

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu signed the Electoral Act Amendment bill 2026 into law, formalizing revisions to the country's electoral framework ahead of the 2027 general election, Bloomberg reported on Feb. 19. 

Nigeria: President Signs Controversial Electoral Law

Argentina

A general strike against the government's labor reform proposal has led to the suspension of nearly all buses, trains, flights and underground services in Argentina, La Nacion reported on Feb. 19.

Argentina: General Strike Causes Operational Disruption, but Unlikely To Block Labor Reform Approval

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu signed an executive order on Feb. 13 directing all oil and gas entitlements owed to the Nigerian government to be directly paid into the country's Federation Account as opposed to some of these funds being directed to state-owned companies and government agencies, Reuters reported on Feb. 19.

Nigeria: President Tinubu Directs All Hydrocarbon Revenue to Federation Account 

The world is connected, but even the broadest topics deserve an individual look. Below are our latest and most relevant politics analyses.

Below are our latest and most relevant politics analyses.

Sub-Saharan Africa

Americas

Asia-Pacific

Europe

Eurasia

Middle East and North Africa

South Asia

The Post-Apartheid Era Ends

Venezuela's Unraveling

The Saudi Survival Strategy

The Kurdish Struggle

Israel's Survival Strategy

Turkey's Resurgence

EU: Regional Blocs

Divided EU Foreign Policies

Brexit

Old Leaders in a New Africa

The U.S. and the Balance of Power

The Pulse of Political Islam

Broken Contracts in the Middle East

Russia's Internal Struggle

China in Transition

Southeast Asia: Burdened by Consensus

India's Own Worst Enemy

Pakistan: A Military With a Country

Columns

On Geopolitics

Germany

France

United Kingdom

A digital illustration shows a nuclear launch map of Europe. 

Amid doubts about the U.S. security guarantee, Europe is considering using Franco-British nuclear arms to bolster its strategic autonomy within NATO, though this plan faces significant political and technical challenges.

The European Nuclear Umbrella: A Search for Strategic Autonomy

Assessments

Algeria

Saudi Arabia

United Arab Emirates

The national flag of Algeria flies near the Bay of Algiers against the backdrop of the old town known as the Casbah and cargo containers in Algiers, Algeria, on Aug. 25, 2022.

Divergences between Algeria and the United Arab Emirates are poised to grow and may lead to a diplomatic break.

Algeria's Grievances With the UAE Deepen Amid Strategic Divergences

Brunei Darussalam

Cambodia

Laos

Malaysia

Myanmar

Philippines

Singapore

Thailand

Philippine Foreign Minister Theresa Lazaro speaks at a press conference during a Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meeting in Cebu City, the Philippines, on Jan. 29, 2026.

The coming year will test ASEAN's ability to maintain unity, manage crises and remain a credible regional forum amid rising internal security risks and a more fractured world order, particularly as the Philippines butts heads with China in the South China Sea.

Previewing the Philippines 2026 ASEAN Chairmanship

Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky attends a press conference at the European Commission's headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on Aug. 17, 2025.

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Despite its strategic imperative to secure Ukraine's Western alignment, the EU remains unlikely to grant the country full or partial membership anytime soon due to numerous challenges, with the ongoing war being chief among them.

To Keep the Promise of Ukraine's Accession Alive, the EU Mulls Alternative Options

Israel

Slovakia

Hungary

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

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

Bangladesh

A man walks past campaign posters of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chairman and Tarique Rahman in Dhaka on Feb. 13, 2026.

The transition from an interim administration will likely restore political stability, though social and fiscal pressures will still pose constraints for the new center-right government.

Bangladesh Nationalist Party Wins Big in First Election Since 2024 Uprising

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

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

An aerial photo shows Argentinian police using a water cannon truck against protesters opposing labor reforms on Feb. 11, 2026, in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Although the labor reform is likely to be approved and may incrementally improve Argentina's hiring climate, its short-term economic impact will be limited.

Argentina's Milei Secures Senate Backing for Market-Oriented Labor Overhaul

Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul arrives at the Government House in Bangkok on Feb. 9, 2026.

The incumbent conservative party's victory will improve short-term political stability, but governance will remain constrained by coalition dynamics, entrenched institutions and uncertain constitutional reform.

Thailand Approves Constitutional Reform, Re-Elects Conservative Party

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

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

Cuba

Mexico

American Airlines planes sit on the tarmac at Jose Marti International Airport in Havana on Feb. 9, 2026. 

Facing imminent economic collapse and the loss of key allies, the Cuban government will likely yield to U.S. demands for market liberalization to avoid a total breakdown of state authority while attempting to preserve political control.

Economic Concessions to U.S. Offer Path for Regime Survival in Cuba

Japan

Japanese Prime Minister and President of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Sanae Takaichi reacts as she speaks with media on the day of lower house elections at the LDP headquarters in Tokyo on Feb. 8, 2026. 

The LDP's decisive lower house victory will enable Prime Minister Takaichi to boost social and defense spending and strengthen ties with the U.S., though at the expense of Japan’s relations with China and South Korea.

Election Landslide Stabilizes Japanese Politics, Cements Defense Modernization

Politics

SITUATION REPORTS

Korean Peninsula: Seoul's Charm Offensive Bears Modest Fruit With Pyongyang

Vietnam, Indonesia, U.S.: Trade Diplomacy Anchored in Big Ticket Industrial Deals

U.S.: Washington Hosts First Board of Peace Summit

Peru: Congress Votes In Left-Wing Interim President

U.S., Taiwan, China: Trump Considering Delaying Arms Sales to Taiwan

Nigeria: President Signs Controversial Electoral Law

Argentina: General Strike Causes Operational Disruption, but Unlikely To Block Labor Reform Approval

Nigeria: President Tinubu Directs All Hydrocarbon Revenue to Federation Account

Forecasts

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