North Korea

Ukraine

Russia

Military & Security

Ukrainian intelligence suggested North Korea would deploy 25,000-30,000 additional troops to fight alongside Russian forces in the Ukraine war, according to CNN on July 3.

North Korea, Russia: More North Korean Troops To Join Russians in Ukraine War

Europe

Economics

The European Union and Ukraine reached an agreement on June 30 about the future of their trade in agricultural products, establishing three tiers of product quotas that reflect the products' importance to EU producers, The Kyiv Independent reported the next day. 

EU, Ukraine: Negotiators Reach Deal on Agricultural Exports

United States

Politics

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Ukraine's government announced on June 29 that overnight, Russia had launched what Kyiv described as its biggest air attack since the beginning of the war in February 2022, The Kyiv Independent reported the same day.

Russia, Ukraine: Russia Launches Major Air Attack Amid Stalled Negotiations

The European Union on June 26 failed to agree on the 18th package of sanctions against Russia due to refusals by Hungary and Slovakia, but the bloc agreed to extend for another six months all current sanctions against Russia, The Guardian reported on June 27.

EU: Bloc Fails To Adopt New Sanctions Package Against Russia

The U.S. Trump administration reportedly dissolved a working group on pressuring Russia to be more flexible in peace talks with Ukraine, Reuters reported on June 17, citing three unnamed U.S. officials.

U.S., Russia: New Reports Signal Dwindling U.S. Pressure on Russia To Negotiate

Russia's ambassador to the United States, Alexander Darchiev, said a new round of U.S.-Russia negotiations will take place in Moscow "in the very near future," Reuters reported on June 11.

Russia, U.S.: Next Round of Talks Is Imminent, According to Russian Ambassador

U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters that Russia and Ukraine might need to "fight for a while" before they would get more serious about de-escalating the war, The New York Times reported on June 5. 

Russia, Ukraine: Trump Suggests Two Sides May Need To Fight More Before Ready for Peace

Iran

U.S.-Iran Relations

U.S. President Donald Trump announced that he held a call that lasted over an hour with Russian President Vladimir Putin in which the two discussed the war in Ukraine and Iran's nuclear program, according to a June 4 post on Truth Social.

Russia, U.S.: Trump Announces Call With Putin in Which Two Discuss Ukraine, Iran

Snapshots

A Ukrainian soldier works on an Avenger AN/TWQ-1 anti-aircraft missile system on Nov. 28, 2023, in Kyiv, Ukraine.

Without new supplies of U.S. Patriot interceptors and precision-guided munitions, Ukraine will struggle to defend against Russia's escalating aerial attacks, which could eventually force it into an unfavorable peace deal.

Ukraine Grapples With a Freeze on U.S. Weapons Deliveries

Assessments

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Rwanda

Israel

Israeli air defense systems are activated to intercept Iranian missiles over the Israeli city of Tel Aviv early on June 18, 2025. 

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

The Weekly Rundown: Israel-Iran Conflict Rages On, NATO Holds Annual Summit

Canada

Japan

Germany

France

United Kingdom

Italy

An image shows a row of flags from the G7 members.

Global Trade

The June 15-17 summit will provide an opportunity for the bloc to discuss trade tensions and the war in Ukraine, but the meeting is more likely to expose transatlantic divisions over Trump's tariffs and reluctance to pressure Russia.

What To Expect From the First G7 Summit Following Trump's Return to the White House

Service members of Ukraine's 13th Khartia Brigade load a Vampire drone with food and ammunition supplies to be delivered to the infantry at the frontline on March 7, 2025, in the Kharkiv region of Ukraine. 

Ukraine's recent string of asymmetric attacks on Russian soil could make Moscow more flexible in negotiations, but it also risks diplomatic blowback that at least temporarily scuttles peace talks.

The Implications of Ukraine's Audacious Attacks on Russia

Mexico

South Korea

Poland

Ukrainian, U.S. and Russian delegates meet for peace talks in Istanbul, Turkey, on May 16, 2025. 

The Weekly Rundown: Ukraine-Russia Talks, Mexico's First-Ever Judicial Elections

This combination of pictures shows Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (left) during a press conference in Berlin on June 11, 2024, and Russian President Vladimir Putin during the Congress of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs in Moscow on March 18, 2025.

While direct talks mark a notable development in the peace process, Moscow will not make meaningful concessions unless it faces bolder action from the West (particularly the U.S.), like asset seizures and increased military aid to Ukraine.

Russia Agrees To Hold Talks With Ukraine Amid U.S. Pressure, but Peace Will Remain Elusive

Columns

On Geopolitics

The allure of implementing a sphere of influence model is more likely to disappoint those who may argue that it would create more stability and security.

The Temptations of a Sphere-of-Influence Model of International Relations

Drag-line excavator mines rare earth materials on Ukrainian soil on Feb. 25, 2025, in the Zhytomyr region of Ukraine. 

A new U.S.-Ukraine economic deal offers Washington a long-term stake in Ukraine's critical resources -- and a potential lever in ceasefire diplomacy.

New Strategic Pact Gives U.S. Stake in Ukraine's Economic Future

India

Pakistan

Indian soldiers stand guard atop their vehicle in Srinagar, India, on April 23, 2025, following a deadly militant attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir.

The Weekly Rundown: Escalating Pakistan-India Tensions, Canadian Elections and Pope Francis' Funeral

U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff (2 L) and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio (C) attend a meeting with European and Ukrainian officials on April 17 at the Elysee presidential palace in Paris.

Ukraine will be forced to choose between compromising on its supposed red lines to de-escalate its war with Russia, or risk losing U.S. support and its battlefield position. 

Growing U.S. Pressure for a Peace Deal Puts Ukraine in a Difficult Position

Workers at a quarry Feb. 26, 2025 in the Zhytomyr region of Ukraine.

Cyber

The Weekly Rundown: Von der Leyen Meets Starmer, a U.S.-Ukraine Minerals Deal

South Africa

China

A list of countries facing reciprocal tariffs on display April 2 at the White House.

U.S.-China Relations

The Weekly Rundown: The Escalating Global Trade War, South Africa's Coalition Government on the Brink

<p>Ukraine is the quintessential borderland state. The country borders three former Soviet states (Russia, Belarus and Moldova) and four countries in the European Union (Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania). Ukraine also has a coastline along the Black Sea to the south. Ukraine sits on the Northern European Plain, the area that has historically served as an invasion superhighway going east and west. Beyond its strategic location, Ukraine&#39;s geography has only facilitated such invasions. The country consists of flat and fertile plains, with the exception of the Carpathian Mountain range that arches into the far west of the country. But even these mountains can be penetrated and have not posed a significant barrier to invasion. Given such lack of barriers, Ukraine&#39;s wide-open geography is inextricably linked to that of Russia. Ukraine&#39;s agricultural and industrial belts have traditionally been integrated with Russia&#39;s, and Ukraine serves as the primary transit state for Russian energy exports to Europe. Due to its location and abundance of agricultural and mineral resources, Ukraine has been contested between regional powers for centuries. This competition is currently playing out in an extreme form today, with a Western-backed government confronting a Russian-backed uprising in eastern Ukraine. Further complicating the situation is the fact that Ukraine has several population and political cores, including Lviv in the west, Kiev in the center and the eastern cities of Donetsk and Luhansk. These different cores make administering Ukraine difficult. The current crisis in Ukraine is therefore merely the latest iteration of the country&#39;s internal divisions and the long-standing East-West conflict over the country. Maintaining sovereignty and unity in the face of this competition is Ukraine&#39;s primary geographic challenge.</p>

SITUATION REPORTS

North Korea, Russia: More North Korean Troops To Join Russians in Ukraine War

EU, Ukraine: Negotiators Reach Deal on Agricultural Exports

Russia, Ukraine: Russia Launches Major Air Attack Amid Stalled Negotiations

EU: Bloc Fails To Adopt New Sanctions Package Against Russia

U.S., Russia: New Reports Signal Dwindling U.S. Pressure on Russia To Negotiate

Russia, U.S.: Next Round of Talks Is Imminent, According to Russian Ambassador

Russia, Ukraine: Trump Suggests Two Sides May Need To Fight More Before Ready for Peace

Russia, U.S.: Trump Announces Call With Putin in Which Two Discuss Ukraine, Iran

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