Europe

Ukraine

Russia

Energy

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Several EU members, including France, the Netherlands and Romania, have increased imports of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) this year, Reuters reported Oct. 10.

Europe: EU Countries Continue to Purchase Russian LNG, Undercutting Bloc's Sanctions Strategy

Military & Security

Russia launched its largest combined missile-and-drone assault on Ukraine since early 2023, striking energy infrastructure across nine regions and leaving parts of Kyiv without power and water, Bloomberg reported on Oct. 10.

Ukraine: Moscow's Winter Blitz Tests Kyiv's Endurance and the West's Will

Politics

NATO members are considering stronger deterrence measures in response to increasingly brazen Russian provocations, the Financial Times reported Oct. 9, citing alliance officials briefed on the talks.

Europe, Russia: NATO Considers Allowing Pilots To Shoot Down Russian Jets

Kazakhstan

Russia's Gazprom and Kazakhstan signed a memorandum of understanding on a new cross-border gas pipeline and an agreement outlining long-term processing of Kazakh gas at Russia's Orenburg Gas Processing Plant, RIA Novosti reported on Oct. 8. 

Kazakhstan, Russia: Gas MoUs Deepen Energy Ties With Russia Amid Rising Domestic Shortages

Azerbaijan

Economics

Russian President Vladimir Putin publicly apologized to Azerbaijan's leader for downing an Azerbaijani passenger plane in 2024, Reuters reported on Oct. 9.

Russia: Putin's Apology and Trade Plea Reveal Waning Clout

Mali

Some Malian Tuareg rebels of the Azawad Liberation Front, or FLA, have reportedly trained in Ukraine and are adopting tactics learned from the conflict with Russia, including the use of armed first-person view and fiber-optic drones for targeted attacks on Malian and Russian-linked forces, as well as deceptive measures like inflatable decoys, Jeune Afrique reported on Oct. 7.

Mali, Ukraine: Tuareg Rebels Allegedly Receive Discreet Training in Ukraine

EU member states agreed in principle to measures aimed at restricting the movement of Russian diplomats within the bloc, Reuters reported Oct. 7, citing EU officials.

EU, Russia: Member States Agree To Restrict Russian Diplomats' Movements

At the Valdai Discussion Club, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia has "no aggressive intentions" toward NATO, dismissing Western concerns as "hysteria" and telling Europeans to "calm down, sleep tight, and deal with your own issues," The New York Times reported on Oct. 2.

Russia: Putin Denies NATO Threat While Drones Test Europe's Defenses

Assessments

Syria

Turkey

Japan

France

Tajikistan

Georgia

The assembly hall of the Syrian parliament Oct. 1 in Damascus. An Oct. 5 indirect election for parliament will mark the first time Syrians have had an electoral say in their government since the 1960s.

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's Election, Syria's Political Transition

Snapshots

Moldova

Moldovan President Maia Sandu arrives to hold a press conference in Chisinau on Sept. 29, 2025, after her pro-EU party secured a victory in parliamentary elections. 

Despite a clear win for the pro-EU Action and Solidarity in the Sept. 28 parliamentary election, Moldova's path to EU accession remains fraught with obstacles, including the unresolved Transdniestria conflict, entrenched corruption and the need for politically sensitive judicial reforms.

Even With PAS Victory, Moldova's Road to EU Membership Remains Long

United States

Iran

China

The U.N. Security Council holds a meeting on Iran at the U.N. headquarters in New York City, New York, on Sept. 19, 2025. 

U.S.-Iran Relations

The increased isolation will make Iran more reliant on China and Russia, while the added economic strain could fuel domestic protests and empower Iranian hard-liners calling for more aggressive action against the West.

U.N. Sanctions Snapback: What's Next for Iran?

A Polish-made FlyEye V3.0 drone is displayed during the Iron Defender-25 media day on Sept. 18, 2025, in Nowa Deba, Poland. 

European efforts to fast-track a sophisticated anti-drone system will unlock major contracts for defense firms, but the vast scale of the project will leave Europe exposed to Russian provocations for years.

EU 'Drone Wall' Plans Will Take Years To Materialize, Leaving Continent Vulnerable in the Meantime

Guyana

Israel

Palestinian Territories

Australia

The President of the 80th session of the U.N. General Assembly and former German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock speaks during a General Assembly meeting to vote on a two-state solution to the Palestinian question on Sept. 12 at the United Nations in New York. Countries including Australia, Canada, France and the United Kingdom will likely formally recognize Palestinian statehood over the next several days at the assembly.

Israel-Hamas Conflict

The Weekly Rundown: Western Countries Recognize Palestine, the EU Discusses a 'Drone Wall'

Chile

Qatar

United Kingdom

Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani addresses a press conference following Israeli strikes in Doha on Sept. 9, 2025. 

U.S.-China Relations

The Weekly Rundown: Qatar Hosts an Arab-Islamic Summit, EU Announces New Sanctions on Russia

In this pool photograph distributed by the Russian state agency Sputnik, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev waits to greet foreign leaders during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization member states leaders' summit in Astana on July 4, 2024.

Despite President Tokayev's reform proposals, Kazakhstan's succession process will remain vulnerable to destabilizing forces, including elite rivalries and foreign influence.

How Kazakhstan's Proposed Reforms Will Impact the Question of Succession

Poland

Russia's drone incursion into Poland highlights Moscow's increasing willingness to test Western resolve as it continues mass airstrikes on Ukraine, prepares for war games in Belarus and negotiations to end the war are stalled. 


Russian Drones Crossing into Poland Risk Escalation with NATO

India

Participants of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit 2025 pose for photos in Tianjin, China, on Sept. 1, 2025.

Global Trade

U.S. trade uncertainty will help China deepen trade ties with its Central Asian neighbors and infrastructure ties with Russia, but its relations with India will remain inhibited by border disputes and differing defense priorities.

China Positions Itself as Growth Catalyst for Central Asia at SCO Summit

Media

Lithuania

Germany

Finland

Latvia

Denmark

Estonia

Sweden

Podcasts

Why is the Baltic such a critical and complex region?

Essential Geopolitics: Remilitarization in the Baltic

Ecuador

Mexico

North Korea

Helicopters fly in the sky during a rehearsal for a military parade Aug. 24 in Beijing.

The Weekly Rundown: An SCO Summit, Rubio Closes Security Deals With Mexico and Ecuador

Central African Republic

Rwanda

Members of the Unity for Peace in the Central African Republic (UPC) rebel group gather at the DDR (disarmament, demobilization and reintegration) site in Maloum, the Central African Republic, on July 24. 2025.

The dissolution of key rebel groups and the reintegration of ex-fighters could stabilize the country after years of conflict, but the process will remain fragile amid funding challenges and potential attacks from non-signatories.

Central African Republic's New Peace Deal Holds Promise, but Challenges Persist

<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: EU Countries Continue to Purchase Russian LNG, Undercutting Bloc's Sanctions Strategy

Ukraine: Moscow's Winter Blitz Tests Kyiv's Endurance and the West's Will

Europe, Russia: NATO Considers Allowing Pilots To Shoot Down Russian Jets

Kazakhstan, Russia: Gas MoUs Deepen Energy Ties With Russia Amid Rising Domestic Shortages

Russia: Putin's Apology and Trade Plea Reveal Waning Clout

Mali, Ukraine: Tuareg Rebels Allegedly Receive Discreet Training in Ukraine

EU, Russia: Member States Agree To Restrict Russian Diplomats' Movements

Russia: Putin Denies NATO Threat While Drones Test Europe's Defenses

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