Kenya

Economics

Energy

Military & Security

Politics

Kenyan public transport operators suspended a nationwide strike for one week after the government agreed to talks on fuel pricing following a 23.5% rise in diesel prices in May and a 24.2% increase in April, AP reported on May 19.

Kenya: Fuel Strike Suspended After Deadly Nationwide Protests as Government Opens Talks

China

Ukraine

Russia

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

China's armed forces covertly trained approximately 200 Russian military personnel in drone warfare and combat tactics in late 2025, and some of those soldiers have since returned to fight in Ukraine, Reuters reported on May 19, citing three European intelligence agencies.

China, Russia: Beijing Reportedly Provided Covert Military Training to Russian Troops

Japan

Philippines

Taiwan

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said his country would likely be involved in "any" Taiwan conflict given Taiwan's geographic proximity and the need to protect the nearly 200,000 Filipinos who live and work there, Bloomberg reported on May 19.

Philippines, Taiwan: Manila Reiterates Intention To Be Involved in 'Any' Taiwan Conflict

United States

Iran

Qatar

Saudi Arabia

United Arab Emirates

U.S. President Donald Trump announced in a May 18 Truth Social post that he had called off a planned May 19 military attack on Iran following requests from Qatari, Saudi and Emirati leaders, who reportedly informed Trump that negotiations on a deal that includes "NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS FOR IRAN" were progressing.

U.S., Iran: Trump Calls Off Planned May 19 Attack on Iran as Negotiations Reportedly Progress

U.S.-Iran Relations

Pakistan

Pakistan has in recent weeks deployed approximately 8,000 troops, a squadron of 16 JF-17 fighters and other aircraft, and a Chinese HQ-9 surface-to-air missile system to Saudi Arabia under the countries' September 2025 mutual defense agreement, Reuters reported on May 18, citing three "security officials" and two "government sources."

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia: Report Details Military Assets Pakistan Has Deployed to Saudi Arabia Amid the Iran War

Ukraine launched its largest drone attack on Moscow since March 2025 on May 17, killing at least three people in the Moscow region, Reuters reported the same day. 

Russia, Ukraine: Ukraine's Drone Barrage Pierces Moscow's Shield

Cuba

Classified U.S. intelligence shared with Axios alleges that Cuba has acquired over 300 military drones and has recently been discussing plans to use them against the Guantanamo Bay U.S. military base and possibly Key West, Florida, Axios reported on May 17. 

Cuba, U.S.: U.S. Intelligence Alleges Cuba May Target Guantanamo Bay, Key West With Military Drones

Regarding a pending large U.S. arms sale to Taiwan, U.S. President Donald Trump said, "I haven't approved it yet…it depends on China. It's a very good negotiating chip for us," according to a Fox News interview aired on May 15.

U.S., Taiwan: Trump Calls Taiwan Arms Sales a 'Negotiating Chip' With China

U.S.-China Relations

The world is connected, but even the broadest topics deserve an individual look. Below are our latest and most relevant military analyses. 

Below are our latest and most relevant military analyses. 

Sub-Saharan Africa

Americas

Asia-Pacific

Europe

Eurasia

Middle East and North Africa

South Asia

The Syrian Civil War

The Yemen Civil War

The Libyan Civil War

The Fight Against the Islamic State

The Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict

The India-Pakistan Rivalry

Cyber

The Ukraine Conflict

Tracking U.S. Naval Power

The Battle for Mosul

Rebalancing Power in the Middle East

Coping With a Nuclear North Korea

The Jihadist Wars

Echoes of the Cold War

Instability in Central Asia

South Asian Militancy

Pakistan: A Military With a Country

Assessments

Egypt

Israel

Jordan

Lebanon

Palestinian Territories

Syria

Turkey

Yemen

United Kingdom

Right-wing activists gather with Israeli flags outside the Damascus Gate of the walled Old City of Jerusalem on May 26, 2025, during a flag march for Jerusalem Day, commemorating the Israeli army's 1967 capture of the city's eastern sector during the Arab-Israeli war.

Israel's quest for middle-power status will be defined by its ability to unify its Jerusalem core, which has remained divided throughout the modern state's history.

The Modern Geopolitics of Israel

EU and Ukrainian flags fly outside the European Commission headquarters on Feb. 23, 2025, in Brussels, Belgium.

While a European mediator may unblock frozen peace talks, a durable peace settlement remains unlikely until both Russia and Ukraine conclude that continued war is more costly than compromise.

The Limited Promise of EU Mediation in Ukraine Peace Talks

Mexico

South Korea

Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sept. 3, 2025, in Beijing's Tiananmen Square.

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

The Weekly Rundown: Elevated Tensions in the Middle East, Putin Heads to Beijing

Uzbekistan

Tajikistan

Turkmenistan

Kazakhstan

Afghanistan

India

Afghan protesters burn a Pakistani flag during a demonstration in Helmand Province in 2016.

Gains from the Afghan Taliban's growing regional ties will be hindered by enduring disputes, logistical constraints, infrastructure security risks, and Pakistan's possible absence from future multilateral engagements.

How the Afghan-Pakistani Conflict Is Redrawing Regional Relations

Commercial vessels are seen offshore in Dubai on March 11, 2026.

While recent revelations about the airstrikes indicate a shift in both countries' risk calculations, the UAE's hawkish, Israel-aligned posture poses a greater threat of Iranian retaliation than Saudi Arabia's more restrained approach. 

The UAE and Saudi Arabia Enter the War Against Iran, but With Separate Strategies

A digital illustration of the Turkish flag.

Continued high inflation, political uncertainty and bureaucratic hurdles will likely limit the overall effectiveness of the reforms, which come ahead of the 2028 presidential election.

Turkey Pursues Tax Reforms Amid Economic Fallout From the Iran War

Part of the gas processing facilities of Europe's first helium production pilot plant in Saint-Parize-le-Chatel, France, on Sept. 11, 2024.

Qatar's halt of helium production due to the Iran war risks causing shortages that disrupt key manufacturing industries, particularly in Asia.

How the Iran War is Choking the World's Helium Flow

France

Boats on April 28, 2026 on Qeshm Island, Iran, in the Strait of Hormuz. Tensions between the United States and Iran will remain elevated, especially around the strait, following the May 7 U.S.-Iran exchange of attacks and Iranian attacks against the United Arab Emirates.

The Weekly Rundown: Elevated Tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, France Convenes an Africa Summit

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Trucks haul away ore from a pit in the Chinese-owned Tenke Fungurume Mine, one of the largest copper and cobalt mines in the world, in southeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo on June 17, 2023.

Greater access to Congo's mining sector will likely help the U.S. further secure its cobalt and copper supplies, but ongoing security concerns in the Central African country and China's dominance over global mineral processing will limit the extent of these gains.

Trump Goes Hunting For Congo's Minerals

Snapshots

Russian officers patrol central Moscow on May 5, 2026, in front of the Kremlin, a few days ahead of the Victory Day military parade, to be held at Red Square on May 9. 

While Ukraine is unlikely to attack Moscow during the May 9 parade, its expanding long-range strike capabilities will steadily increase the war's political, economic and psychological toll on Russia ahead of the September elections.

Ukrainian Strikes Put Russia on Edge Ahead of Victory Day Parade

People gather at the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted Beirut's southern suburbs on May 6, 2026.

Israel's May 6 airstrike, which killed a top Hezbollah commander, will weaken the already tenuous April ceasefire and diminish prospects for U.S.-backed mediation, raising the risk of a return to a wider war.

Beirut Attack Further Dims Prospects for Lebanon-Israel Peace Talks

An Emirates Boeing 777 aircraft prepares for landing as a smoke plume rises from an ongoing fire near Dubai International Airport in Dubai on March 16.

A military response from the United States aiming to compel Iranian concessions without committing to ground operations could trigger a prolonged cycle of retaliatory attacks between U.S. allies and Iran.


Iran, U.S. Ceasefire at Elevated Risk of Collapse After Iran Attacks UAE

Military & Security

SITUATION REPORTS

Kenya: Fuel Strike Suspended After Deadly Nationwide Protests as Government Opens Talks

China, Russia: Beijing Reportedly Provided Covert Military Training to Russian Troops

Philippines, Taiwan: Manila Reiterates Intention To Be Involved in 'Any' Taiwan Conflict

U.S., Iran: Trump Calls Off Planned May 19 Attack on Iran as Negotiations Reportedly Progress

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia: Report Details Military Assets Pakistan Has Deployed to Saudi Arabia Amid the Iran War

Russia, Ukraine: Ukraine's Drone Barrage Pierces Moscow's Shield

Cuba, U.S.: U.S. Intelligence Alleges Cuba May Target Guantanamo Bay, Key West With Military Drones

U.S., Taiwan: Trump Calls Taiwan Arms Sales a 'Negotiating Chip' With China

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