Russia

Economics

Politics

Russia's central bank unexpectedly left its key interest rate at 21%, despite high inflation of 9.5%, The Wall Street Journal reported on Dec. 20.

Russia: Central Bank Unexpectedly Leaves Key Rate at 21%

Ukraine

Military & Security

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia was ready for negotiations and unspecified "compromises" regarding the Russia-Ukraine war, the BBC reported on Dec. 19. 

Ukraine, Russia: Putin Claims Readiness for Negotiations and Compromises

Turkey

Armenia

Azerbaijan

In an interview with Russian state media, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev dismissed as "political speculation" reports of the establishment of a permanent Turkish military base in Azerbaijan, TASS reported on Dec. 18.

Azerbaijan, Russia: Aliyev Says No Need for Turkish Military Base in Azerbaijan

The head of the Russian military's nuclear, biological and chemical protection forces, Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, was killed in an apparent assassination when an improvised explosive device attached to an electric scooter exploded outside his apartment, AP reported on Dec. 17.

Ukraine, Russia: High-Ranking Russian General Killed in Assassination

Energy

Russia conducted a mass airstrike on Ukraine's energy infrastructure using 93 missiles and over 200 drones, the Financial Times reported on Dec. 13.

Russia, Ukraine: Russia Conducts Mass Air Attack on Ukrainian Energy Infrastructure

Moldova

Moldova's Parliament voted to impose a state of emergency in the energy sector over fears that Russian gas supplies to the country could end on Jan. 1, 2025, when Ukraine's transit agreement with Russia's Gazprom expires, Reuters reported on Dec. 13.

Moldova: Government To Impose State of Emergency in Energy Sector Amid Threat to Russian Gas Supplies

United States

India

Russia's state-owned oil company Rosneft agreed to supply some 500,000 barrels of crude oil per day for 10 years to private Indian refiner Reliance, a deal worth around $13 billion a year based on current prices, Reuters reported on Dec. 12.

India, Russia: Countries Reach Largest Energy Deal Yet

China

Environment, Science & Technology

Science & Technology

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced an alliance with other members of the BRICS trade bloc and "other interested states" for developing artificial intelligence, Reuters reported on Dec. 11.

Russia: Putin Announces BRICS AI Alliance Network

Assessments

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Rwanda

South Korea

Germany

A sign reading ''leader of insurgents'' on a photo of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's face is held up during a protest calling for Yoon's ouster in Seoul, South Korea, on Dec. 8, 2024. 

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

The Weekly Rundown: Putin's Annual Press Conference, Another Impeachment Vote in South Korea

Columns

On Geopolitics

Iran

Israel

Syria

United Arab Emirates

Rebel fighters celebrate in the streets of Homs, Syria, in the early hours of Dec. 8, 2024, after seizing control of the city.

Syria, the geopolitical proving ground for virtually every major regional power, may be hobbled and damaged after 13 years of civil war. But it still gets a vote in its destiny. 

Syria Sets Out Toward a New and Uncertain Future

Russian troops gather around their military vehicles in northeast Syria on Nov. 1, 2019. 

The collapse of Assad's government in Syria is a blow to the Kremlin's influence in the Middle East and its credibility as a security partner, which will further drive Russia to secure a resounding victory in Ukraine.

What Assad's Fall Means for Russia

Snapshots

Lebanon

A military vehicle burns after it was hit by Syrian regime forces Dec. 7 in Syria's Hama governorate. After the regime's fall, competing rebel factions will vie to create a provisional government, a slow process prone to violence as foreign actors try to shape the postwar balance of power.

After the regime's fall, competing rebel factions will vie to create a provisional government, a slow process prone to violence as foreign actors try to shape the postwar balance of power.

Syrian Rebels Pushing to Damascus, Regime Facing Imminent Collapse

Ghana

France

Protesters call for the ouster of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol outside the National Assembly in Seoul on Dec. 6, 2024.

The Weekly Rundown: An Impeachment Vote in South Korea, Syria's Government Wavers

Rebels patrol the streets of Hama after they captured the central Syrian city on Dec. 6, 2024. 

If and when al Assad's regime collapses, war-torn Syria will fragment into factional territories under a weakened rebel leadership.

What To Watch For as Syria's Government Barrels Toward Collapse

Namibia

Tanzania

Uruguay

Kazakhstan

The NATO symbol and flags of some member countries Oct. 18 in Brussels. The NATO-Ukraine Council will meet Nov. 26 to discuss Russia's first use of an experimental ballistic missile on Ukrainian territory, which on Nov. 21 Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed involved a new medium-range, hypersonic ballistic missile known as "Oreshnik."

The Weekly Rundown: A NATO-Ukraine Summit, Putin's State Visit to Kazakhstan

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

Europe

Austria

A view of the Gas Connect Austria natural gas distribution hub stand at Baumgarten an der March, Austria, on Nov. 16, 2024.

A muted market reaction to disrupted gas supply in Austria signals Europe's preparedness for a likely cut-off of Russian gas in the coming months.

Markets Shrug Off Russia's Gas Cut-Off to Austria

United Kingdom

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

Senegal

Brazil

A G-20 summit banner on Nov. 12 at City Hall in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will host G-20 leaders Nov. 18-19 in Rio de Janeiro, where he will try to secure support for three main proposals.

The Weekly Rundown: Brazil Hosts the G-20, Constitutional Crisis Looms in Israel

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

<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

Russia: Central Bank Unexpectedly Leaves Key Rate at 21%

Ukraine, Russia: Putin Claims Readiness for Negotiations and Compromises

Azerbaijan, Russia: Aliyev Says No Need for Turkish Military Base in Azerbaijan

Ukraine, Russia: High-Ranking Russian General Killed in Assassination

Russia, Ukraine: Russia Conducts Mass Air Attack on Ukrainian Energy Infrastructure

Moldova: Government To Impose State of Emergency in Energy Sector Amid Threat to Russian Gas Supplies

India, Russia: Countries Reach Largest Energy Deal Yet

Russia: Putin Announces BRICS AI Alliance Network

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