Brazil

United States

Economics

Politics

U.S. President Donald Trump signed an order to remove 40% tariffs on some Brazilian food products, including beef, coffee, cocoa and fruits, with the order retroactively affecting Brazilian imports to the United States starting Nov. 13, the White House said in a statement issued Nov. 20. 

Brazil, U.S.: White House Announces Removal of Some 40% Tariffs on Brazil

Nigeria

Military & Security

The United States is considering sanctions and increased Pentagon engagement to pressure Nigeria to better protect Christian communities and uphold religious freedoms, Reuters reported on Nov. 21.

Nigeria, U.S.: U.S. Considers Sanctions and Military Engagement Over Christian Protection Concerns

China

Cyber

Environment, Science & Technology

Science & Technology

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission voted on Nov. 20 to repeal measures put in place in December 2024 to address the Chinese state-backed Salt Typhoon operation that was revealed throughout 2024 to have breached major telecommunications companies in the United States and globally. 

U.S.: FCC Votes To Repeal Telecom Cyber Rules Issued To Address Salt Typhoon

Ukraine

Russia

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on his Telegram channel on Nov. 20 that he is ready to work with the Trump administration on the 28-point plan for peace in Ukraine.

Ukraine: Zelensky Agrees To Negotiate on U.S.-Russia Peace Plan

Iran

Saudi Arabia

Energy

U.S.-Iran Relations

Iran is terminating its September agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency that allowed for limited monitoring of nuclear facilities after the IAEA's board passed a resolution calling for Iran to report details about its enriched uranium, Bloomberg reported on Nov. 20, citing Iran's foreign minister. 

Iran: Tehran Terminates IAEA Inspection Agreement After IAEA Vote Against Enriched Uranium

The U.S. Trump administration is preparing an executive order that would bolster the federal government's ability to block states from regulating artificial intelligence, Politico reported on Nov. 20. 

U.S.: White House Pursues Executive Order To Block States From Regulating AI

United Arab Emirates

The U.S. Commerce Department approved the sale of up to 35,000 of Nvidia's GB300 servers or equivalents to both the United Arab Emirates' G42 and to Saudi Arabia's Humain, Bloomberg reported on Nov. 20. 

U.S., Saudi Arabia, UAE: U.S. Approves Sale of Advanced AI Chips to Saudi, Emirati Tech Companies

Cambodia

Laos

Malaysia

Myanmar

Thailand

Thailand's anti-corruption body publicly warned that Bangkok's crackdown on crime syndicates and money laundering networks is failing because political, bureaucratic and police elites are taking bribes and protecting criminal groups, The Straits Times reported on Nov. 20.

Southeast Asia: Entrenched Scam Syndicates Face More Raids, Though Leadership Remains Insulated

Assessments

Angola

South Africa

Japan

South Korea

United Kingdom

Banners bearing portraits of leaders of the G20 on Nov. 20 in Johannesburg. The South African government has focused the G20 summit's agenda on issues key to African countries.

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

The Weekly Rundown: A High-Stakes British Budget, South Africa Hosts the G20

Snapshots

Ukrainian artillerymen operate a U.S.-made M-114 howitzer near Pokrovsk, Ukraine, on Oct. 16, 2025.

Trump has given Ukraine until Nov. 27 to accept a plan that would freeze the war on terms favorable to Moscow, or face U.S. aid cuts. But Kyiv is unlikely to accede, instead relying on European support to continue fighting.

Ukraine Likely To Reject Trump's Peace Plan Ultimatum, Prolonging the War

Syria

Syria's interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa delivers a speech in Damascus on July 3, 2025, during the unveiling of the "New Visual Identity of the Syrian Arab Republic." 

The transitional government's decision will boost reconstruction and counter-terrorism efforts, but it will also risk alienating internal hard-liners and could eventually fuel an Islamic State resurgence if Syria's economic recovery stalls.

The Implications of Syria Joining the U.S.-Led Fight Against the Islamic State

The Pentagon viewed from above.

A strategic shift to prioritize commercially available technology over bespoke solutions aims to deliver capabilities faster, though it faces constraints and introduces risks to quality and cost.

New U.S. Defense Acquisition Reforms Offer Opportunities for Improvements, but Longstanding Constraints Remain

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. 20, 2025

Canada

The clock tower outside of Canada's parliament building is seen in Ottawa, Ontario.

Global Trade

Canada's push to revive its economy and diversify its trade and security ties beyond the U.S. will likely see slow progress and could prompt U.S. retaliation, while the associated deficit spending will risk long-term fiscal strain.

The High Stakes of Canada's Attempt To Pivot Away From the U.S.

Chile

Venezuela

Israel

India

Pakistan

People watch the USS Gravely, a Navy warship, departing the Port of Spain on Oct. 30, 2025. The U.S. warship arrived in Trinidad and Tobago on Oct. 26, 2025, for joint exercises near the coast of Venezuela, as Washington ratcheted up pressure on drug traffickers and Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.

The Weekly Rundown: U.S.-Saudi Meeting, Military Escalation in the Caribbean

Thailand's Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul (C) after chairing a National Security Council on Nov. 11 in Bangkok. An armed clash on the Thai-Cambodian border raises the risk of escalations that unwind the two countries' recent peace accord, though a return to full-scale war is less likely due to U.S. economic and security leverage.

While the most likely scenario is recurring but contained flare-ups through early 2026, a more escalatory scenario remains plausible.

More Clashes, but Not Full-blown Conflict, Likely on the Cambodian-Thai Frontier

U.S. Naval Update Map: Nov. 13, 2025

Media

Podcasts

Why are Venezuela's relationships with Russia, Iran and China so important to the United States?

Essential Geopolitics: The Primary Drivers and Constraints of U.S.-Venezuela Tensions

Uzbekistan

Tajikistan

Turkmenistan

Kazakhstan

Kyrgyzstan

U.S. President Donald Trump (C), joined by lawmakers and members of his administration, delivers remarks during a dinner with leaders of Central Asian countries in the East Room of the White House on Nov. 6, 2025.

The recent C5+1 summit highlighted the U.S.'s desire to boost cooperation with Central Asian countries on trade and critical minerals, but the region's geography, governance and reliance on China and Russia will ultimately limit the impact of such efforts. 

The Promise and Limits of Increased U.S. Engagement in Central Asia

Iraq

Campaign posters Nov. 6 ahead of Nov. 11 Iraqi parliamentary elections in central Baghdad.

U.S.-China Relations

The Weekly Rundown: Iraqi Elections, a U.S.-China Deal Enters Effect

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

Brazil, U.S.: White House Announces Removal of Some 40% Tariffs on Brazil

Nigeria, U.S.: U.S. Considers Sanctions and Military Engagement Over Christian Protection Concerns

U.S.: FCC Votes To Repeal Telecom Cyber Rules Issued To Address Salt Typhoon

Ukraine: Zelensky Agrees To Negotiate on U.S.-Russia Peace Plan

Iran: Tehran Terminates IAEA Inspection Agreement After IAEA Vote Against Enriched Uranium

U.S.: White House Pursues Executive Order To Block States From Regulating AI

U.S., Saudi Arabia, UAE: U.S. Approves Sale of Advanced AI Chips to Saudi, Emirati Tech Companies

Southeast Asia: Entrenched Scam Syndicates Face More Raids, Though Leadership Remains Insulated

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