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Russia-Ukraine Conflict

At the end of a summit of European leaders in Paris, French President Emmanuel Macron said during a press conference that participants had unanimously agreed to maintain sanctions on Russia and increase military aid to Ukraine, with France pledging an additional 2 billion euros ($2 billion), Le Monde reported on March 27.

Europe, Ukraine: Europe To Maintain Sanctions on Russia, Pursue Reassurance Force in Ukraine

United States

The Kremlin announced that a 30-day moratorium on strikes targeting Ukrainian energy infrastructure took effect on March 18, according to newly published details,  AP reported March 26. 

Russia, Ukraine: Energy Ceasefire In Effect Despite Violations

The White House issued separate statements on the outcomes of recent negotiations with Russian and Ukrainian delegations, highlighting agreements with Russia to ensure safe navigation in the Black Sea, restore Russia's access to the world market for agricultural goods and fertilizer, and develop measures for implementing a ban on strikes against energy infrastructure between Russia and Ukraine, Reuters reported on March 25. 

U.S., Russia, Ukraine: U.S. Issues Statements on Outcomes of Russia and Ukraine Talks

Russian and Ukrainian delegations held separate talks with a U.S. delegation in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with talks between Russian and U.S. delegations lasting more than 12 hours and resulting in a joint statement that will be published on March 25, Reuters reported on March 24. 

U.S., Russia, Ukraine: U.S., Russian and Ukrainian Delegations Hold Talks in Riyadh

Hungary

EU leaders, with the exception of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, pledged to continue supporting Ukraine and expressed readiness to ramp up pressure on Russia with additional sanctions during a summit in Brussels, Belgium, Reuters reported on March 20.

EU, Ukraine: Most EU Leaders Stress Continued Support for Ukraine, Delay New Funding Increase

Saudi Arabia

Russian and U.S. technical teams will hold their next round of talks in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, early in the week of March 24 to discuss the details of Russia-Ukraine deconfliction agreements in the air and the Black Sea, as well as technical details of an eventual interim ceasefire, Bloomberg reported on March 19, citing U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff. 

U.S., Russia, Ukraine: Delegations To Meet in Jeddah for Technical Talks

U.S. President Donald Trump held his second official phone call this year with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and the two leaders agreed to create expert negotiating teams to achieve a settlement of the Russia-Ukraine war, Reuters reported on March 18.

U.S., Russia, Ukraine: Trump Holds Second Official Phone Call With Putin

Energy

The U.S. Treasury on March 13 did not extend a 60-day waiver that temporarily exempted Russia's largest banks from sanctions so they could process energy payments, such as purchases of Russian oil and gas, Reuters reported on March 14. 

U.S., Russia: Russian Bank Exemptions From Energy Sanctions Expire

Assessments

Brazil

Iran

Israel

Lebanon

Japan

Vietnam

United Kingdom

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio (L) and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a joint press conference Feb. 16 at the prime minister's office in Jerusalem. Senior Israeli officials from the security and intelligence ministries will visit the United States to discuss Iran's nuclear program and Israeli border demarcation talks with Lebanon.

Global Trade

U.S.-Iran Relations

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 U.S. and Israel Coordinate on Iran, the U.K. Chancellor Seeks Fiscal Discipline

Media

Podcasts

How will these changes affect European countries?


Essential Geopolitics: The United States' Evolving Relationship With Russia

Ethiopia

Germany

Reichstag in Berlin with flags.

The Weekly Rundown: U.S.-Russia Contacts on a Ukraine Ceasefire, a Vote on Reforming Germany’s Debt Brake

Snapshots

While a ceasefire appears increasingly likely, Russia will likely delay a deal to secure more concessions related to Western military support, a potential peacekeeping force in Ukraine, and Kyiv's NATO aspirations.

How Will Russia Respond to the U.S.-Proposed Ceasefire in Ukraine?

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Serbia

Milorad Dodik, leader of the most influential political party in the Bosnian-Serb dominated entity of Republika Srpska, on Oct. 27, 2022.

The arrest will test Bosnia's fragile institutional order amid rising regional and global instability, fueling concerns of a potential spillover of unrest across the Western Balkans.

The Arrest of a Serbian Official Puts Bosnian -- and Regional -- Stability to the Test

A photo taken on Jan. 15, 2025, shows a muddy track running through a forest in Sumy, Ukraine, that Ukrainian soldiers use to transport American Stryker armored fighting vehicles during Ukraine's ongoing cross-border operation into Russia's Kursk region.

Intensified Russian attacks will likely soon force Ukrainian troops to exit Russia's Kursk border region, which could make Moscow more open to ceasefire talks by weakening Kyiv's negotiating leverage.

Ukraine's Withdrawal From Kursk Appears Imminent Amid Russian Advances

U.S. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan and National Security Advisor Mosaad bin Mohammad al-Aiban, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, Ukrainian Head of Presidential Office Andriy Yermak and Ukrainian Minister of Defense Rustem Umerovto attend a meeting between the US and Ukraine hosted by the Saudis on March 11, 2025 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Ukraine has agreed to a U.S.-backed 30-day ceasefire with Russia, but its success depends on Moscow's acceptance and broader unresolved issues.

Temporary Truce in Sight? U.S. and Ukraine Push for 30-Day Ceasefire with Russia

Columns

On Geopolitics

China

A digital map illustration of Russia.

U.S.-China Relations

The White House believes that restoring ties with Moscow will help it negotiate a ceasefire in Ukraine and, more importantly, undermine Russia-China relations in the long run. But numerous potential pitfalls mean this approach is unlikely to pay off.

The Rationale and Risks of Trump's Push to Reengage With Russia

France

Ukrainian flags are flown alongside EU flags outside the European Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on Feb. 24, 2025, for the third anniversary of Russia'’s large-scale invasion.

Amid the prospect of a U.S.-brokered ceasefire, European leaders are mulling putting boots on the ground in Ukraine to help deter Russian aggression, which could take several forms, each varying in effectiveness and feasibility.

Weighing the Options for a European Deployment in Ukraine

A map of the United States from 1897. While a revisionist America could lead to a more stable world order, it would be much more likely to lead to greater uncertainty, volatility, and conflict.

While a revisionist America could lead to a more stable world order, it would be much more likely to lead to greater uncertainty, volatility, and conflict.

What a Revisionist U.S. Foreign Policy Could Mean for the World

Turkey

Armenia

Azerbaijan

Georgia

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev (4th from left) and Russian President Vladimir Putin (5th from left) attend a meeting in Moscow on April 22, 2024. 

Russia's influence in the South Caucasus is set to decline in the years ahead as countries adjust their foreign policies to balance global and regional powers, creating opportunities for China, Turkey and the West.

The Coming South Caucasus Realignment

Minerals are loaded onto trucks at an open-pit mine in Ukraine's Donetsk region, near the frontline of the war with Russia, on Feb. 26, 2025.

The deal, while largely political for now, could influence the course of the war by justifying continued U.S. aid to Ukraine, potentially delaying any ceasefire with Russia.

The Viability and Potential Impact of the U.S.-Ukraine Minerals Deal

<p>Despite being the largest country in the world by area, the Russian Federation occupies territory that is indefensible and unforgiving. The core of Russia, running from the Volga grain belts up through Moscow proper to the Baltic Sea, lacks any natural features to fortify it from attack. This is why the country has traditionally anchored its territory to major geographic barriers far from its core in an attempt to keep foreign powers distant. As a result, Russia has inevitably had to reach east across the frozen tundra of Siberia to the Pacific Ocean, southeast to the Tien Shen mountains of Central Asia, south to the Caucasus Mountains bordering Iran and Turkey, and finally west to the Carpathian Mountains in Central Europe. But, there is one major hole in this geographic expanse: The Northern European plane. The Northern European plane is a gap between the Carpathian Mountains and the Baltic sea which, at its narrowest, is 480 kilometers (300 miles) across. This narrow point, referred to as the Polish funnel, lies just West of Warsaw and reaches down Krakow in the south. Russia has faced three major attackers along this axis; Napoleon, Wilhelm II, and Hitler. Most recently, the expansion of NATO and the European Union into Central and Eastern Europe has raised Russian hackles. Moscow would much prefer to control the lands between Russia and the Polish funnel &mdash; pushing as far west as possible &mdash; knowing full well that once an attacker has passed that narrow chokepoint, it is an open march to Russia&#39;s heartland. For this reason, Moscow seeks to occupy or influence its borderlands, or at the very least, maintain their neutrality. Looking beyond its indefensible borders and largely hollow interior, Russia boasts a diverse population of 144,463,450 people and a powerful military. These armed forces, backed by an autocratic political system, help protect the country&#39;s unwieldy land mass. Russia&#39;s economy is inherently fragile and highly dependent on commodity exports ranging from grain to energy. The country is traditionally at its most powerful when a strong, heavy-handed leader is in charge, such as current Russian President Vladimir Putin. Despite this, though, the Kremlin must continually deal with internal political divisions, rising ethnic tensions and regional dissidence.</p>

SITUATION REPORTS

Europe, Ukraine: Europe To Maintain Sanctions on Russia, Pursue Reassurance Force in Ukraine

Russia, Ukraine: Energy Ceasefire In Effect Despite Violations

U.S., Russia, Ukraine: U.S. Issues Statements on Outcomes of Russia and Ukraine Talks

U.S., Russia, Ukraine: U.S., Russian and Ukrainian Delegations Hold Talks in Riyadh

EU, Ukraine: Most EU Leaders Stress Continued Support for Ukraine, Delay New Funding Increase

U.S., Russia, Ukraine: Delegations To Meet in Jeddah for Technical Talks

U.S., Russia, Ukraine: Trump Holds Second Official Phone Call With Putin

U.S., Russia: Russian Bank Exemptions From Energy Sanctions Expire

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