United States

Ukraine

Russia

Military & Security

Politics

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he would skip the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, to focus on the domestic energy crisis unless negotiators finalize pending agreements regarding security guarantees, a prosperity plan and additional air defense supplies, Interfax-Ukraine reported on Jan. 20.

Ukraine, U.S.: Zelensky Says He Will Skip Davos Forum as Peace Talks Stall

Syria

Syria's provisional government said it had reached a four-day ceasefire with the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF, in an attempt to negotiate the final integration of the remaining SDF forces, Al Jazeera reported on Jan. 20.

Syria: Government Reaches Ceasefire With SDF To Promote Integration

China

United Kingdom

Cyber

Environment, Science & Technology

The United Kingdom and China established a forum to discuss cyber attacks, Bloomberg reported on Jan. 20. 

China, U.K.: Governments Set Up Cyber Dialogue

Peru

Peru's Attorney General Tomas Galvez confirmed he has opened a preliminary investigation into interim President Jose Jeri over alleged influence peddling for concealed meetings with a Chinese businessman, El Pais reported on Jan. 19.

Peru: Prosecutors Launch Preliminary Investigation Into President for Influence Peddling

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Rwanda

Pro-government forces reentered the Democratic Republic of the Congo's eastern city of Uvira after the Rwandan-backed M23 rebel group began withdrawing its remaining forces from the area on Jan. 17, Reuters reported on Jan. 20.

Congo: Pro-Government Militias Reenter Uvira Following Reported M23 Withdrawal

Ethiopia

Sudan

Egypt

Egyptian Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Hani Sweilem said Ethiopia should pay Egypt compensation due to its management of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, claiming that the dam had reduced Egypt's use of Nile waters from its allocated 55 billion cubic meters to 38 billion cubic meters, Addis Standard reported on Jan. 20. 

Egypt, Ethiopia: Cairo Demands Compensation Over GERD Following Trump Mediation Proposal

Benin

Provisional results from Benin's Jan. 11 parliamentary elections show that the ruling coalition won all 109 seats, leaving no opposition party represented in the next National Assembly, RFI reported on Jan. 19.

Benin: Opposition Loses All Parliamentary Seats, Reducing Checks on Executive Power

Uganda

Uganda's main opposition leader Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, known as Bobi Wine, reportedly in hiding, has claimed that around 100 of his supporters have been killed, alleging a postelection campaign of violence and intimidation by state forces, BBC reported on Jan. 20. 

Uganda: Opposition Leader in Hiding Claims 100 Supporters Killed Following Museveni's Seventh-Term Win

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

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

Vietnam

A man walks past a billboard for the 14th Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam outside the National Convention Center in Hanoi on Jan. 15, 2026. 

Economics

The five-yearly event will likely codify a more centralized, security-anchored governing model, while setting ambitious goals for economic growth and administrative reforms, though internal and external pressures will hinder implementation.

Previewing Vietnam's 14th National Party Congress

Greenland

Germany

Finland

Denmark

France

Sweden

Norway

Netherlands

The HDMS Knud Rasmussen ship of the Danish Navy patrols the waters off of Nuuk, Greenland, on Jan. 20, 2026. 

Global Trade

Trump's threatened tariffs over his bid to acquire Greenland have turned the U.S.-EU trade dispute into a high-stakes geopolitical confrontation, raising the risk of a sustained trade war that would severely strain transatlantic economic ties and NATO cohesion.

Trump's Greenland Tariff Threat Escalates Transatlantic Tensions

Israel

Palestinian Territories

Switzerland

A sniper police officer on the Congress hotel during the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum on Jan. 24, 2025, in the Alpine resort of Davos, Switzerland.

Israel-Hamas Conflict

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

The Weekly Rundown: Davos, Europe Steps Up Greenland Deployments

Eritrea

Somalia

Saudi Arabia

Turkey

United Arab Emirates

Yemen

Residents wave Somali flags as they attend a rally denouncing Israel's recognition of the breakaway region of Somaliland at Mogadishu Stadium in Mogadishu, Somalia, on Dec. 30, 2025. 

Two regional alignments are coalescing along the Red Sea and in the Horn of Africa, risking the escalation of proxy conflicts and longstanding rivalries.

The Unfolding Regional Realignments Along the Red Sea and Their Implications

Citizens gather to welcome the arrival of vehicles transporting Kurdish fighters from the northern city of Aleppo to the Kurdish-controlled northeastern city of Qamishli on Jan. 11, 2026.

The government's success in forcing the Kurdish-backed militia out of the city will likely reduce fighting there, but it may also lead to a larger localized conflict in the northeast that disrupts Kurdish integration and potentially oil exports.

In Syria, the SDF's Withdrawal From Aleppo Will Complicate Kurdish Integration Efforts

Venezuela

Taiwan

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (right) and Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil (left) attend a meeting in Beijing on May 12, 2025.

U.S. pressure on the new Venezuelan government will briefly cool China's engagement in Latin America and could renew trade tensions with Washington, though Maduro's removal is unlikely to affect China's calculus regarding Taiwan.

Assessing China's Response to the U.S. Capture of Venezuela's Maduro

U.S.-China Relations

Mozambique

Tanzania

A column of Tanzanian soldiers drives past electoral posters of incumbent Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan and Zanzibar President Hussein Ali Mwinyi in Stone Town on Oct. 30, 2025. 

The Tanzanian government's harsh repression of opposition voices will maintain risks of civil unrest and siphon security forces away from outer regions, creating power vacuums in the south for jihadists to exploit.

Ongoing Repression in Tanzania Shows No Signs of Letting Up

Iran

People gather during a protest in Tehran, Iran, on Jan. 8, 2026. 

The severity of Iran's crackdown on protesters makes it highly likely that Trump will authorize some form of action (e.g., sanctions, cyberattacks or military strikes), with Tehran likely to respond proportionally unless the regime's survival is threatened.

The Risks and Implications of a U.S. Attack Against Iran

U.S.-Iran Relations

The flag of Greenland, known locally as "Erfalasorput," flies next to the Church of Our Saviour on March 30, 2025, in Nuuk, Greenland. 

The United States' aim to acquire Greenland risks triggering a NATO crisis if U.S. and European negotiators fail to reach a settlement.

Europe Weighs Responses to U.S. Pressure Over Greenland

Iraq

Lebanon

A stock image shows the silhouettes of soldiers.

Emboldened by its recent capture of Venezuela's Maduro, the White House will likely seek to kill and potentially abduct more Middle Eastern extremists in the coming year, but pursuing high-profile targets like Iranian leaders will carry significant risks.

Potential Targets for U.S. Assassination and Abduction Operations in the Middle East

Nigeria

Colombia

Cuba

Mexico

India

Pakistan

Social Issues

RANE's Top 10 Risks for 2026 highlights high-impact, low-probability risks and trends from the annual forecast presented in more extreme terms.

RANE's Top 10 Risks for 2026

Canada

The Greenlandic flag on Jan. 8, 2026, on the roof of Tivoli Castle in Copenhagen, Denmark. Ukraine security talks and a Gaza peace plan will be in the spotlight at Davos.

The Weekly Rundown: Elections in Uganda and Benin, Canada's Carney Goes to China

Military & Security

SITUATION REPORTS

Ukraine, U.S.: Zelensky Says He Will Skip Davos Forum as Peace Talks Stall

Syria: Government Reaches Ceasefire With SDF To Promote Integration

China, U.K.: Governments Set Up Cyber Dialogue

Peru: Prosecutors Launch Preliminary Investigation Into President for Influence Peddling

Congo: Pro-Government Militias Reenter Uvira Following Reported M23 Withdrawal

Egypt, Ethiopia: Cairo Demands Compensation Over GERD Following Trump Mediation Proposal

Benin: Opposition Loses All Parliamentary Seats, Reducing Checks on Executive Power

Uganda: Opposition Leader in Hiding Claims 100 Supporters Killed Following Museveni's Seventh-Term Win

Forecasts

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