United States

Ukraine

Russia

Military & Security

Politics

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

In an interview with Bloomberg News, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky revealed that Kyiv was seeking a standalone security agreement from Western allies and "above all the U.S." to run parallel to any peace treaty, Bloomberg reported on Dec. 8. 

Ukraine: Zelensky Signals Deadlock on Donbas and Seeks Security Guarantees

China

Japan

China's Liaoning aircraft carrier sailed through the Miyako Strait near Japan's Okinawa islands from late Dec. 5 to Dec. 6 and conducted around 100 jet takeoff and landing drills on Dec. 6, spurring Japan to scramble jets from nearby Naha air base, Jiji Press reported on Dec. 7. 

China, Japan: Jet Lock-On Incident Shows Deepening Diplomatic Feud

Honduras

Honduran presidential candidate Rixi Moncada of the ruling Liberty and Refoundation Party, or Libre, announced that the party "does not recognize" the results of the Nov. 30 general election, whose final results still have not been announced but appear to have favored Moncada's rivals, DW reported on Dec. 7.

Honduras: Libre Party Alleges 'Electoral Coup,' Calls for Protests

Australia

Afghanistan

Economics

Australia imposed financial sanctions and a travel ban on Afghanistan's minister of virtue and vice, minister of higher education, minister of justice and chief justice for alleged complicity in oppressing women and girls as well as minority groups in Afghanistan, among other offenses, according to a statement Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade released on Dec. 6. 

Australia, Afghanistan: Australia Sanctions Afghan Taliban Officials Over Alleged Human Rights Concerns

Sudan

A source within the Sudanese Armed Forces, or SAF, claimed Sudan's SAF-backed government had frozen plans for Russia to establish a naval base at Port Sudan, Sudan Tribune reported on Dec. 6. 

Sudan: SAF Official Claims Plans for Russian Naval Base Are Frozen

United Kingdom

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, "At the direction of the president, AUKUS is full-steam ahead," Bloomberg reported on Dec. 8. 

Australia, U.S.: Rubio Confirms AUKUS Pact Is Pressing Ahead

Israel

Palestinian Territories

Israel-Hamas Conflict

A senior Hamas official said the Palestinian militant group was ready to discuss "freezing or storing or laying down" weapons in order to advance the fragile ceasefire with Israel, and he also suggested a multi-year truce and said Hamas must maintain its "right to resist, AP reported on Dec. 7.

Israel, Palestinian Territories: Hamas Official Floats Freezing or Storing Weapons

Cambodia

Thailand

The Thai and Cambodian militaries clashed in disputed territories across six provinces, leading to casualties on both sides, CNA reported on Dec. 8.

Thailand, Cambodia: Latest Border Clashes Slowly Raise Risk of Ceasefire Collapse

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

Snapshots

Venezuela

The U.S. Navy's Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group participates in joint operations with the U.S. Air Force on Nov. 13, 2025.

Increased military mobilizations, failed negotiations with Maduro and persistent aggressive rhetoric suggest the Trump administration will likely soon escalate its Caribbean military campaign to targeted strikes in Venezuelan territory.

The U.S. Remains Poised To Attack Venezuelan Territory

Assessments

Palestinian Hamas militants stand guard as Egyptian and Red Cross workers search for the bodies of the last two remaining hostages from under the rubble of the Jabalia refugee camp, in the northern Gaza Strip, on Dec. 1, 2025.

The shift toward a low-intensity conflict in the Gaza Strip will likely enable Israel to keep pressuring Hamas to disarm without triggering significant backlash or a resumption of Houthi maritime attacks.

Israel Moves Toward a De Facto Partition of Gaza

Tanzania

Hong Kong SAR, China

Protesters help an injured demonstrator near burning barricades amid clashes in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on Oct. 29, 2025. 

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: Unrest in Tanzania, an EU Summit in Ukraine

U.S.-China Relations

Somalia

Yemen

Yemenis stand under a billboard depicting the seizure of an Israeli-linked ship in the sea by Yemen's Houthi-run coast guards during a demonstration staged in solidarity with the people of Gaza and against U.S. President Donald Trump's deal to end the Israel-Hamas war on Oct. 3, 2025, in Sanaa, Yemen. 

While the partnership provides tactical benefits, structural limitations on Houthi resources and al Shabaab's financial independence suggest the relationship will remain opportunistic.

The Outlook for Cooperation Between Yemen's Houthis and Somalia's al Shabaab

Columns

On Geopolitics

Taiwan

Taiwanese President William Lai (center), flanked by other top officials in his government, discusses plans to propose a $40 billion supplemental defense budget during a news conference in Taipei on Nov. 26, 2025.

The 2025 Taiwan National Defense Report reflects Taipei's growing intent and tactical capabilities for deterrence by denial against a Chinese invasion, but it also highlights persistent challenges that contribute to a continually rising risk of conflict through 2028.

Taiwan Report Highlights Evolving Security Orientation

Lebanon

A photograph taken from the Israeli side of the border with southern Lebanon shows U.N. peacekeepers clearing landmines on Nov. 19, 2025. 

Rare direct talks between the neighboring adversaries will probably continue despite Hezbollah's objections, but Israel's likely refusal to offer meaningful concessions will sustain a high risk of renewed conflict in the coming months.

Lebanon-Israel Talks Are Unlikely To Pave the Way for Peace

Russia's President Vladimir Putin, accompanied by Kremlin economic envoy Kirill Dmitriev and Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov, meets with US special envoy Steve Witkoff and US President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner at the Kremlin in Moscow on Dec. 2, 2025.

Energy

Fundamental disagreements between Ukraine and Russia over territorial concessions and security guarantees suggest that peace negotiations are unlikely to lead to a comprehensive breakthrough.

Despite U.S. Diplomatic Push, Ukraine Peace Still a Long Way Off

India

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi hold a meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin on Sept. 1, 2025.

Global Trade

While Putin's Dec. 4-5 visit may yield some progress in defense, energy and trade cooperation, India will likely maintain selective engagement with Russia as it navigates U.S. pressure and continues diversifying its arms suppliers.

What To Expect as Putin Visits India

Hamas militants arrive to secure the area as Egyptian and Red Cross workers search for the bodies of the last two remaining hostages from under the rubble of the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza on Dec. 1, 2025. 

In this phase of the conflict, Israel and Hamas aim to break one another's political will not through widespread violence but through attrition and exhaustion.

Hamas and Israel Evolve the Gaza Conflict

Russian President Vladimir Putin greets Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for their bilateral meeting during the 2025 Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit.

The Weekly Rundown: Putin-Modi Meeting, Honduras General Election

A Ukrainian serviceman from the 24th mechanized brigade prepares a Magura night drone to flight toward the front line in the area of Chasiv Yar, Donetsk region late on April 29, 2025.

Ukraine's success in using cheap drones against Russia reveals how smaller states can leverage accessible technologies to impose disproportionate and sustained costs on a materially superior adversary.

Drones Are Redefining Asymmetric Warfare

Iran

Iraq

Iraqi riot police walk past a screen displaying a portrait of incumbent Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani during celebrations by his supporters following the announcement of preliminary election results in Baghdad on Nov. 12, 2025. 

The Nov. 11 elections produced another fragmented legislature where Iranian-backed parties still have significant influence, portending contentious government formation talks that could impede policymaking and trigger armed clashes.

Iraq Braces for Another Turbulent Government Formation Process

Military & Security

SITUATION REPORTS

Ukraine: Zelensky Signals Deadlock on Donbas and Seeks Security Guarantees

China, Japan: Jet Lock-On Incident Shows Deepening Diplomatic Feud

Honduras: Libre Party Alleges 'Electoral Coup,' Calls for Protests

Australia, Afghanistan: Australia Sanctions Afghan Taliban Officials Over Alleged Human Rights Concerns

Sudan: SAF Official Claims Plans for Russian Naval Base Are Frozen

Australia, U.S.: Rubio Confirms AUKUS Pact Is Pressing Ahead

Israel, Palestinian Territories: Hamas Official Floats Freezing or Storing Weapons

Thailand, Cambodia: Latest Border Clashes Slowly Raise Risk of Ceasefire Collapse

Forecasts

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