<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

France

Germany

Greece

Holy See

Latvia

Liechtenstein

Lithuania

Luxembourg

Malta

North Macedonia

San Marino

Sweden

United Kingdom

Bulgaria

Portugal

Serbia

Croatia

Poland

Romania

Cyprus

Norway

Austria

Slovakia

Albania

Slovenia

Netherlands

Switzerland

Spain

Montenegro

Monaco

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

Snapshots

Ukraine

Russia

The parliament building is seen through a European flag during a demonstration against a judicial reform pushed by lawmakers of the ruling Law and Justice party on Jan. 23, 2020, in Warsaw, Poland. 

Politics

Social Issues

Poland's right-wing opposition parties remain well-positioned to win a majority in the 2027 general election, though growing fragmentation among these parties will hinder postelection coalition talks, potentially leading to a government that includes far-right elements.

How Poland's Right-Wing Split Alters the 2027 Election Landscape

Assessments

United States

Greenland

China

The Geopolitics of Natural Resources

Economics

Energy

Military & Security

Greenland's large deposits of critical minerals make the island one of the few potential alternatives to Chinese supply chains, but material constraints and diplomatic disputes will obstruct large-scale production.

The West's Quest To Exploit Greenland's Critical Minerals

Colombia

Venezuela

Iran

Israel

Lebanon

Colombia's President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella (R) delivers a speech during a military parade commemorating Colombia's Independence Day in Medellin, Colombia, on July 20, 2026. 

Cyber

Environment, Science & Technology

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

The Weekly Rundown: Colombia's New President Takes Office, Brussels Gains AI Act Enforcement Powers

U.S.-Iran Relations

Firefighters spray water along the edge of a forest during a wildfire in southwestern France on July 25, 2026. 

While unlikely to be electorally decisive in either country, the crisis will heighten scrutiny of both governments' crisis management and elevate climate adaptation, emergency preparedness and civil protection as key national and EU policy priorities.

The Political and Security Impact of the Wildfires in France and Spain

Supporters of the far-right Vox party wave flags and shout slogans during a protest against Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in Madrid, on June 13, 2025.

Strict constitutional restrictions and EU institutional oversight would significantly constrain a future right-wing government's ability to implement sweeping institutional changes.

What the Far-Right Vox Entering Government Would Mean for Spain's Security and Society

Peru

A couple rides past Iranian-made Zolfaghar missiles displayed at Azadi Square in Tehran on July 24.

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

The Weekly Rundown: A Likely U.S. Escalation in Iran, Zelensky Travels to Washington

India

A giant Indian flag is displayed from the country's embassy in London on May 7, 2025.

While the agreement will support both countries' economic diversification efforts, U.K. regulatory standards and supply chain challenges will limit some gains for India.

What To Expect as the India-U.K. Trade Deal Enters Force

A 20 euro note.

The European Union is likely to advance banking reforms in 2027 that reduce internal barriers to cross-border banking, boosting its financial competitiveness by freeing up funds tied up in savings, but will stop short of significantly greater fiscal and financial risk sharing.

Brussels Seeks To Boost the EU Banking Sector's Competitiveness

Myanmar

Philippines

People pass a large banner depicting U.S. President Donald Trump with a target on his head during funeral ceremonies for Supreme Leade, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on July 5 in Tehran, Iran.

The Weekly Rundown: U.S.-Iran Conflict Escalates, ASEAN and Major Power Foreign Ministers Meet

Moldova

A man checks the flags of EU countries in 2004. 

Recent negotiations saw Montenegro and Albania pushed into advanced legislative alignment while Brussels expanded accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova.


The Progress, Prospects and Risks of EU Enlargement

Lithuanian Defense Minister Robertas Kaunas said the country's military intelligence uncovered indications that Russia was weighing unconventional kinetic attacks on Baltic critical infrastructure using Ukrainian-made drones to maintain plausible deniability, LRT reported Aug. 6.

Europe, Russia: Lithuania Warns of Possible Russian False-Flag Drone Attacks in the Baltics

Anthropic's Mythos 5 and OpenAI's GPT-5.6 Sol artificial intelligence agents carried out unsanctioned activity and tried to deceive real people in organizations during a cybersecurity evaluation challenge carried out by the U.K. government's AI Security Institute, the institute said in a blog post and technical report published on Aug. 4.

Cyber: AI Agents Demonstrate Unsanctioned Deceptive Activity in Latest Example of AI Agents Going Rogue

German police found a drone carrying an explosive device on the tarmac at Leipzig/Halle airport shortly before midnight on Aug. 4, beside an Antonov Airlines cargo aircraft, Bild reported Aug. 5.

Germany: Drone Carrying Explosives Found at Leipzig Airport Beside Ukrainian Cargo Aircraft

EU member states are moving to replace the European Commission's discretionary approach to third-country participation in the Industrial Accelerator Act's "Made in Europe" scheme with a "partner origin" category tied to specific procurement commitments under trade agreements, Politico reported on Aug. 3, citing a draft compromise. 

EU: Member States Move To Narrow 'Made in Europe' Rules in Industrial Accelerator Act

A letter signed by 22 EU leaders on Aug. 1 criticized Spain's migration policies, blaming Madrid's regularization scheme as a pull factor and calling for stronger external borders and more effective returns, after tens of thousands of migrants crossed from Morocco into the Spanish exclave of Ceuta on July 30, Reuters reported the same day.

Spain, EU: Spain and Schengen Under Pressure Following Ceuta Migrant Crisis

French Pacific territory New Caledonia's Congress elected a government with six members from a pact between centrist and pro-France parties and five independence supporters, Radio New Zealand reported on July 31.

New Caledonia, France: New Government Dims Independence Prospects

The European Commission will gain powers to enforce the rules for providers of general-purpose artificial intelligence models under the bloc's AI Act on Aug. 2, empowering its AI Office to demand information, conduct evaluations, order corrective measures, withdraw models from the EU market and impose fines of up to 15 million euros ($17 million) or 3% of global turnover, Politico reported on July 31.

EU: Brussels To Gain Enforcement Powers Over Most Capable AI Models

Record drought conditions and extreme heat are disrupting power generation and river transport across Europe, Reuters reported on July 30.

Europe: Record Drought Forces Nuclear Shutdowns, Strains River Transport

Europe

SITUATION REPORTS

Europe, Russia: Lithuania Warns of Possible Russian False-Flag Drone Attacks in the Baltics

Cyber: AI Agents Demonstrate Unsanctioned Deceptive Activity in Latest Example of AI Agents Going Rogue

Germany: Drone Carrying Explosives Found at Leipzig Airport Beside Ukrainian Cargo Aircraft

EU: Member States Move To Narrow 'Made in Europe' Rules in Industrial Accelerator Act

Spain, EU: Spain and Schengen Under Pressure Following Ceuta Migrant Crisis

New Caledonia, France: New Government Dims Independence Prospects

EU: Brussels To Gain Enforcement Powers Over Most Capable AI Models

Europe: Record Drought Forces Nuclear Shutdowns, Strains River Transport

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