<p>To the west of Eurasia lays Europe, a region predisposed to division. It is surrounded on nearly all sides by islands and peninsulas that make it difficult for Europe to cohere. The northern half of the continent, moreover, sits on a plain whose short, meandering rivers tend to empower countries without forcing them to work with others. The southern half is situated on more mountainous terrain that has historically impeded the creation of strong, unified economies. As a result, Europe is a continent riven by pockets of distinct cultures whose differences are all too often irreconcilable.</p>

Europe is a continent riven by pockets of distinct cultures whose differences are all too often irreconcilable.

Europe

Belize

Andorra

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Czech Republic

Denmark

Estonia

Finland

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Greece

Holy See

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Netherlands

Switzerland

Spain

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Italy

Ireland

Iceland

Hungary

Kosovo

Beyond Quantitative Easing

The Ukraine Conflict

The Politics of Pipelines

EU: Regional Blocs

Divided EU Foreign Policies

Brexit

The Fate of the Eurozone

Banking

Crossing Borders

Globalization

European Disintegration

Echoes of the Cold War

The Fight for Russia’s Borderlands

Assessments

Canada

United States

Iran

Australia

China

Japan

India

The Tehran skyline on Dec. 30, 2025. On March 2, U.S. and Iranian negotiators will meet in Vienna, Austria, to begin technical talks on a nuclear deal.

Economics

Military & Security

Politics

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 Conflict in the Middle East, Merz meets Trump 

U.S.-Iran Relations

Snapshots

A digital illustration shows energy and power icons set with the EU flag. 

By embedding 'Made in Europe' requirements into public procurement, the upcoming Industrial Accelerator Act represents a fundamental shift in EU economic policy.

The EU's 'Made in Europe' Plan Will Fuel Internal Divisions, Transatlantic Tensions

Icelandic flags are seen on a street in Reykjavik.

The prospect of a summer referendum on EU accession reflects a strategic pivot driven by heightened anxieties over transatlantic security.


In Iceland, Security Concerns, Domestic Politics Catalyze Renewed Debate Over EU Membership

European Union and Australian flags together.

Global Trade

European and Australian negotiators aim to strengthen supply chain resilience and hedge against growing global trade volatility.


The Strategic Logic Behind Revived Australia-EU Free Trade Talks 

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the press Feb. 2 in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington. U.S. President Donald Trump will deliver the annual State of the Union address to Congress on Feb. 24.

The Weekly Rundown: Trump Threatens Iran, Pledges To Reimpose Tariffs on Different Grounds

U.S.-China Relations

Mexico

South Korea

Vietnam

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a press briefing at the White House on Feb. 20, 2026, after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against Trump's use of emergency powers to implement international trade tariffs.

The Trump administration will use other trade authorities to replace many of the IEEPA tariffs struck down by the Supreme Court, meaning U.S. trading partners will remain incentivized to engage on trade matters.

What the Supreme Court Tariff Ruling Means for Trump and U.S. Trading Partners

Columns

On Geopolitics

A digital illustration shows a nuclear launch map of Europe. 

Amid doubts about the U.S. security guarantee, Europe is considering using Franco-British nuclear arms to bolster its strategic autonomy within NATO, though this plan faces significant political and technical challenges.

The European Nuclear Umbrella: A Search for Strategic Autonomy

Ukraine

City authorities and businesses rebuild residential buildings damaged by Russian shelling in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on July 12, 2023.

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

While European governments can fund Ukraine's war effort this year and next, securing the investment needed to rebuild damaged infrastructure will face significant political, economic and structural hurdles.

The Challenge of Rebuilding Ukraine's Economy

Israel

Lebanon

Palestinian Territories

Yemen

U.S. Vice President JD Vance's shadow is seen as he speaks during a press conference following a military briefing at the civilian military coordination center on Oct. 21, 2025, in Kiryat Gat, Israel. 

Environment, Science & Technology

Negotiations over a new Israel-U.S. security agreement signal a pivot in the bilateral relationship as Israel increasingly focuses on strengthening its domestic defense industry.

How Israel's Defense Sector Will Evolve Amid the Government's Push for Self-Reliance

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky attends a press conference at the European Commission's headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on Aug. 17, 2025.

Despite its strategic imperative to secure Ukraine's Western alignment, the EU remains unlikely to grant the country full or partial membership anytime soon due to numerous challenges, with the ongoing war being chief among them.

To Keep the Promise of Ukraine's Accession Alive, the EU Mulls Alternative Options

Argentina

Bolivia

Brazil

Paraguay

Uruguay

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen confirmed that the European Union will provisionally apply its trade agreement with the South American Mercosur bloc before full ratification, Euractiv reported on Feb. 27.

EU, Mercosur: Brussels Moves To Provisionally Apply Mercosur Trade Deal Before Full Ratification

Uzbekistan

Tajikistan

Turkmenistan

Kazakhstan

Russia

Kyrgyzstan

Energy

The United Kingdom hosted the inaugural Central Asia-U.K. (CA5+UK) foreign ministers' meeting in London, the British Foreign Office said on Feb. 26.

Central Asia, U.K.: London Launches Critical Minerals Push Across the Region

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's governing coalition reached an agreement to reform the country's electoral law, introducing a proportional system with a majority bonus of 70 seats in the lower house and 35 in the upper house for coalitions surpassing 40% of the vote, Italian press agency ANSA reported Feb. 26. 

Italy: Ruling Coalition Agrees on Electoral Reform Introducing Proportional System With Majority Bonus

On Feb. 25, the Swiss Federal Council announced that Swiss President Guy Parmelin and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will sign the comprehensive Switzerland-EU package of agreements (Bilaterals III), which will deepen cooperation between Switzerland and the European Union, on March 2 in Brussels, Belgium. 

EU, Switzerland: Long-Delayed Deal To Update Economic and Institutional Ties

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russia had not yet achieved its objectives in Ukraine and that military operations would continue, but that Moscow remained open to political and diplomatic avenues to reach those goals, Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reported on Feb. 24.

Russia, Ukraine: Kremlin Says War Objectives Unmet, Military Operations To Continue

Somalia

Turkey

United Arab Emirates

Talks between Somalia's federal government and the opposition Somali Future Council, or SFC, regarding Somalia's electoral model collapsed after both parties failed to reach an agreement, Somalia Today reported on Feb. 23. 

Somalia: Talks Between Federal Government and Opposition Over Electoral Model Collapse

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will travel to China on Feb. 24 for his first official visit since taking office in May 2025, accompanied by a large business delegation, Reuters reported the same day.

Germany, China: Chancellor Friederich Merz Travels to Beijing

Belarus

Belarus began mass snap reserve call-ups in its western Grodno region bordering Poland and Lithuania as part of an unscheduled combat readiness inspection, with thousands reportedly summoned on hours' notice and transported to training grounds, Charter'97 reported on Feb. 23.

Belarus: Snap Reserve Call-Ups Near NATO Borders

Europe

SITUATION REPORTS

EU, Mercosur: Brussels Moves To Provisionally Apply Mercosur Trade Deal Before Full Ratification

Central Asia, U.K.: London Launches Critical Minerals Push Across the Region

Italy: Ruling Coalition Agrees on Electoral Reform Introducing Proportional System With Majority Bonus

EU, Switzerland: Long-Delayed Deal To Update Economic and Institutional Ties

Russia, Ukraine: Kremlin Says War Objectives Unmet, Military Operations To Continue

Somalia: Talks Between Federal Government and Opposition Over Electoral Model Collapse

Germany, China: Chancellor Friederich Merz Travels to Beijing

Belarus: Snap Reserve Call-Ups Near NATO Borders

Forecasts

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