United States

Philippines

Military & Security

Politics

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced that Washington would furnish the Philippines with an undisclosed number of unmanned surface vessels, or USVs, for use within the so-called West Philippine Sea (the section of the South China Sea within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone) that it disputes with China, the South China Morning Post reported Nov. 21.

U.S., Philippines: Alliance Deepens in Last Months of Biden Administration

Russia

Economics

The United States imposed sanctions on Gazprombank, one of the few major Russian banks not already blacklisted by Washington over Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the Financial Times reported on Nov. 21. 

Russia, U.S.: Washington Sanctions Gazprombank and Subsidiaries

Israel

Germany

United Kingdom

The International Criminal Court, or ICC, issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Nov. 21 on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel: ICC Issues Arrest Warrants for Netanyahu, Gallant

Australia

China

Kiribati

Solomon Islands

China reclaimed its status as the second-largest bilateral donor to Pacific island countries (after Australia) following a pandemic lull, supplanting the United States with a surge in official development financing, loans and grants, according to findings published in a Lowy Institute report on Nov. 19.

China, Pacific Islands: Beijing Supplants U.S. as Second-Largest Bilateral Donor

Palestinian Territories

Israel-Hamas Conflict

A U.S.-Israel panel will discuss civilian harm during the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza in early December, AP reported on Nov. 19.

U.S., Israel: U.S.-Israel Panel on Civilian Harm To Convene in December

Ukraine

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree formalizing changes to Russia's nuclear doctrine that lowered the threshold for nuclear use and clarified the list of threats that could warrant a nuclear response, including aggression against Russia by any non-nuclear state backed by a nuclear-armed country, Reuters reported on Nov. 19.

Russia: Putin Signed Russia's Revised Nuclear Doctrine

On the 1000th day of the Russia-Ukraine war, Ukrainian forces carried out their first attack with U.S.-produced ATACMS missiles inside of Russia, striking an ammunition storage facility in Karashev in the Bryansk region bordering Ukraine, Bloomberg reported Nov. 19.

Ukraine: Country Conducts First Strike Inside Russia Using U.S.-Made ATACMS Missiles

Hong Kong SAR, China

Hong Kong's High Court sentenced 45 of the "Hong Kong 47" activists accused of holding unsanctioned democratic primaries in 2020 to four to 10 years in jail, Reuters reported on Nov. 19. 

Hong Kong: Sentencing of Democracy Activists To Rekindle Tensions With U.S., Australia

Columns

On Geopolitics

People walk by destroyed houses in Pokrovsk, Ukraine, on Nov. 16, 2024.

Trump's victory has accelerated the timeline for an end to the war, though it also appears likely a cease-fire will happen on Russia's terms and may not lead to sustainable peace.

The Growing Prospect of a Cease-Fire in Ukraine

Assessments

Tracking U.S. Naval Power

This map shows the approximate locations of U.S. Carrier Strike Groups and Amphibious Ready Groups.

U.S. Naval Update Map: Nov. 21, 2024

On Security

The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) logo is displayed in the lobby of the CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia.

For many high-level intelligence positions, Trump appears to be elevating loyalists with little experience, fueling fears over politicization that could undermine the U.S. and its partners' security.

The Potential Politicization of the U.S. Security Apparatus Under Trump, Part 2

A U.S. flag is pictured on a soldier's uniform at the United States Army military training base in Grafenwoehr, southern Germany, on March 11, 2022.

Reports that Trump's transition team may propose establishing an outside board to evaluate senior military officers raise serious questions about the potential politicization of the U.S. armed forces in the years ahead.

The Potential Politicization of the U.S. Security Apparatus Under Trump, Part 1

Snapshots

France

Debris lies in the courtyard of a damaged house following a missile attack at an undisclosed location in Ukraine's Odesa region on Nov. 17, 2024.

The U.S. decision to allow Ukraine to strike deeper into Russia with ATACMS missiles signals a policy shift but is unlikely to change the war's trajectory.

U.S. Greenlights Limited Ukrainian Strikes Inside Russia with Long-Range Missiles

Iran

Bangladesh

India

Pakistan

Sri Lanka

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump (R) and India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi (L) arrive for a joint press conference at Hyderabad House in New Delhi, India, on Feb. 25, 2020.

Environment, Science & Technology

Science & Technology

While U.S. President-elect Donald Trump will maintain many of the outgoing Biden administration's overarching policies toward South Asia, bilateral relationships will grow increasingly transactional.

What Trump's Second Term Means for South Asia

The Iranian capital of Tehran. An Israeli attack on a previously undisclosed active Iranian nuclear weapons research facility demonstrates that Iran is trying to reduce the timeline to develop nuclear weapons.

U.S.-Iran Relations

The Israeli attack on a previously undisclosed active Iranian nuclear weapons research facility demonstrates that Iran is trying to reduce the timeline to develop nuclear weapons.

Israel's October Strike on an Iranian Nuclear Facility Indicates More Strikes Ahead

U.S. Naval Update Map: Nov. 14, 2024

An Israeli police officer stands near the remains of an Iranian missile on Oct. 2, 2024, near the Dead Sea, Israel. 

In gauging how the conflict will evolve, much will depend on the level of Trump's support for Israel and hostility toward Iran.

How the Israel-Iran Conflict May Play Out With a Trump Presidency

Americas

Argentina

Brazil

Chile

Colombia

Cuba

El Salvador

Guatemala

Honduras

Mexico

Nicaragua

Venezuela

U.S. border patrol officials drive near the wall along the Mexican border in Sasabe, Arizona, on Dec. 8, 2023. 

The fallout from Trump's pledged tariffs and mass deportations could worsen living conditions in countries like Mexico, though countries with like-minded leaders, like Argentina, may fare better.

What Trump's Focus on Immigration, Trade and Ideology Means for Latin America

North Korea

On April 16, 2024, 155mm caliber shells are shown after manufacturing, ready for shipment at the Scranton Army Ammunition Plant (SCAAP) in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

Trump's return to the White House and North Korean support for Russia have shifted the conflict's dynamics, likely portending a further weakened position for Kyiv.

Bracing for a Protracted War in Ukraine: The Narrowing Path to a Ukrainian Victory

Japan

A ballot is cast in front of the Japanese flag. On Nov. 11, the country will select a prime minister and convene an extraordinary session of its bicameral Diet.

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

The Weekly Rundown: Japan Selects a Prime Minister, Trump's Shadow Looms Over COP29

The United States encompasses territory spanning from the Arctic Circle and Central Pacific to the Gulf of Mexico and the North Atlantic.    The Greater Mississippi Basin is the United States' core and serves as the underpinning of its role as a global superpower.    The basin hosts an extensive network of navigable rivers that overlay the world's largest contiguous piece of arable land. This naturally interconnected river system facilitated integration among settlers and allowed for cheap transport of goods, providing the United States with the ability to feed itself efficiently and rapidly build up industry and capital to expand west. The Midwestern core gave early America strategic depth, while an expanding U.S. coastline, naturally indented with deep harbors, provided its opening to the world.    After reaching the Pacific coast in the mid-19th century, the United States found itself insulated by two oceans. On the continent itself, geography again has worked in the country's favor: lakes to the north and deserts to the south insulate the United States' population centers, with both Canada and Mexico facing too many natural constraints of their own to seriously rival it.    This unparalleled level of wealth and protection gives the United States options that few to no countries can claim. For one, the United States has used its wealth and security to build up the world's largest navy. Control of the world's major sea-lanes gives the United States the power to facilitate or deny trade to allies or rivals of the day. The onus therefore is on the United States to carefully manage its engagements abroad and build up strategic allies to protect its overseas interests and preserve its strength at home. 

SITUATION REPORTS

U.S., Philippines: Alliance Deepens in Last Months of Biden Administration

Russia, U.S.: Washington Sanctions Gazprombank and Subsidiaries

Israel: ICC Issues Arrest Warrants for Netanyahu, Gallant

China, Pacific Islands: Beijing Supplants U.S. as Second-Largest Bilateral Donor

U.S., Israel: U.S.-Israel Panel on Civilian Harm To Convene in December

Russia: Putin Signed Russia's Revised Nuclear Doctrine

Ukraine: Country Conducts First Strike Inside Russia Using U.S.-Made ATACMS Missiles

Hong Kong: Sentencing of Democracy Activists To Rekindle Tensions With U.S., Australia

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