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Economics

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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

Lithuania

Ukraine

Belarus

Russia

Military & Security

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

Fifteen of 31 lawmakers under the Poland 2050 party, a centrist member of Prime Minister Donald Tusk's ruling coalition, announced that they were breaking away following a contentious party leadership contest concluded on Jan. 31, citing dissatisfaction with newly elected leader and EU funds minister Katarzyna Pelczynska-Nalecz, Notes From Poland reported on Feb. 18.

Poland: Ruling Coalition Party Poland 2050 Splits but Leaves Tusk's Majority Intact

Slovakia

Cyber

Environment, Science & Technology

Science & Technology

Researchers from Slovakia-based cybersecurity company ESET assessed with medium confidence that Russian advanced persistent threat, or APT, Sandworm was behind a failed cyberattack targeting Poland's power grid in late December 2025, according to new research published by ESET on Jan. 23.

Russia, Poland: Researchers Attribute Attempted Data Wiper Attack to Russian APT Sandworm

United States

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Russia fired a nuclear-capable Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile at targets in Ukraine's Lviv region during a broader missile and drone attack on energy and civilian infrastructure, Reuters reported on Jan. 9.

Russia, Ukraine: Russia Uses Oreshnik Nuclear-Capable Missile in Ukraine

Americas

Belgium

Austria

Italy

Ireland

Hungary

Global Trade

EU member states gave provisional approval for the European Commission to sign the long-delayed free trade agreement with South America's Mercosur bloc, Reuters reported Jan. 9.

EU, Mercosur: EU Member States Approve Mercosur Trade Deal

China

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced Poland will reopen all border crossings with Belarus at midnight on Sept. 25, ending a closure that had blocked up to 90% of China-EU overland rail cargo for weeks, Reuters reported on Sept. 23.

Poland, Belarus: Poland To Reopen Belarus Border, Restoring China-EU Rail Traffic After Major Disruption

Germany

Moldova

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk visited Chisinau, Moldova, pledging to support President Maia Sandu and Moldova's EU path, Reuters reported on Aug. 27.

Moldova: European Leaders Back Sandu in Preelection Visit, Warn Against Kremlin Meddling

Columns

On Geopolitics

The flags of NATO, the EU and Poland are seen next to each other. 

Despite achieving strategic indispensability and significant military power, Poland's political influence in the EU and NATO has lagged, creating a paradox in which it is critical to executing Western strategies but peripheral to decision-making.

Has Poland Missed Its Shot at Becoming a Major EU Power?

Snapshots

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

Media

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Podcasts

Why is the Baltic such a critical and complex region?

Essential Geopolitics: Remilitarization in the Baltic

Assessments

Cambodia

Thailand

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in the Oval Office of the White House on July 22, 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: Last-Minute U.S. Trade Talks, a New Polish President

Norway

A view in Rostock, Germany, of the first exit of warships for the NATO exercise BALTOPS in the Baltic Sea on June 5, 2025. 

In response to Russian aggression, NATO is seeking to establish strategic control over the Baltic Sea via rearmament and more assertive posturing, creating an environment where the risk of miscalculation grows exponentially.

Baltic on the Brink: The New Flashpoint in Europe's Confrontation With Russia

A newly installed sign pointing to Schengen transfer flights is pictured next to EU and Romanian flags on March 31, 2024. 

Poland's move to reimpose border checks to curb irregular migration from Germany and Lithuania highlights a greater trend that risks entrenching uncertainty for businesses and travelers in the EU's passport-free area.

New Polish Border Controls Bring Europe's Schengen Area Back Into Question

Kenya

South Africa

Israel

Palestinian Territories

Israel-Hamas Conflict

U.S.-China Relations

The Weekly Rundown: A U.S. Tariff Ruling, Israel's Opposition Seeks To Dissolve the Knesset

Right-wing opposition candidate Karol Nawrocki waves to supporters in Warsaw, Poland, following the presidential runoff election on June 1, 2025.

Global Elections

The incoming conservative president will likely veto many of the centrist government's domestic reforms, while his euroskeptic views will sustain foreign policy incoherence, potentially undermining Poland's economic outlook and its credibility as a regional leader.

Poland Braces for More Political Gridlock Following Nawrocki's Presidential Victory

Mexico

South Korea

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

Taiwan

United Kingdom

Portugal

Romania

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is scheduled to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump on May 21 during an official trip to the United States.

The Weekly Rundown: South Africa's U.S. Reset, Three European Elections

Supporters of the PiS party demonstrate April 12 in Warsaw, Poland. Poland will hold a presidential election May 18 and runoff June 1 if no candidate obtains more than 50% in the first round.

Social Issues

The outcome of Poland's election will determine whether Prime Minister Donald Tusk's centrist government will coexist with a cooperative president or continue to face institutional constraints from an ideologically opposed president.

Poland's Election: Potential Outcomes and Their Implications

Spain

NATO military forces during static display after the Steadfast Dart 2025 military exercises at the Smardan Training Area in Smardan, Romania, on Feb. 19, 2025. 

Europe is increasingly focused on achieving greater strategic autonomy in defense, but internal divisions and material constraints will plague this quest, even as the United States' role on the Continent continues to shrink, meaning NATO will likely remain the cornerstone of Europe’s security architecture. 

The Future of Transatlantic Security Cooperation, Part 2: The View From Europe

<p>Poland sits at the crossroads of Eastern and Western Europe. Located on the Northern European Plain, the country has a largely flat terrain with few geographic barriers &mdash; with the exception of the Baltic Sea to the north and the Carpathian Mountains in the extreme south. From the 15th to the 18th century, Poland was among the largest and most influential states in Europe. As the leading power of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Poland controlled territory that includes modern day Belarus, Ukraine, the Baltic states, and parts of western Russia. However, the emergence of Germanic powers to the west and Russia to the east proved disastrous for Poland, as the country was partitioned between the Russian, Prussian, and Austrian Empires at the end of the 18th century. Poland was then the setting of numerous wars for influence among European powers, proving a key battleground during World War I and II before being swept into the Soviet bloc during the Cold War. Poland returned to the Western fold once the Soviet Union collapsed, with the country joining NATO in 1999 and the European Union in 2004. Since then, Poland &mdash; with its demographic and industrial core in Warsaw &mdash; has been one of the most economically dynamic countries of the former Eastern bloc. The current crisis in Ukraine, as well as Poland&#39;s continued fear of Russia, has made Warsaw a pivotal player in the standoff between Moscow and the West. The country has sought to strengthen the presence of NATO on its territory and is a key part of the bloc&#39;s ballistic missile defense program. Poland has also sought to bring key countries in the former Soviet periphery, most notably Ukraine, closer to the West. Using these strategies to maintain territorial integrity is Poland&rsquo;s primary geographic challenge.</p>

SITUATION REPORTS

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

Belarus: Snap Reserve Call-Ups Near NATO Borders

Poland: Ruling Coalition Party Poland 2050 Splits but Leaves Tusk's Majority Intact

Russia, Poland: Researchers Attribute Attempted Data Wiper Attack to Russian APT Sandworm

Russia, Ukraine: Russia Uses Oreshnik Nuclear-Capable Missile in Ukraine

EU, Mercosur: EU Member States Approve Mercosur Trade Deal

Poland, Belarus: Poland To Reopen Belarus Border, Restoring China-EU Rail Traffic After Major Disruption

Moldova: European Leaders Back Sandu in Preelection Visit, Warn Against Kremlin Meddling

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