Ukraine

Russia

Military & Security

Politics

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

A car bomb killed the driver of a BMW X3 in Balashikha, a Moscow suburb with a large military-linked residential community, Kommersant reported on June 9.

Russia: Balashikha Car Bombing Exposes Threat to Moscow's Military Elite

United States

South Korea

A South Korean foreign ministry official told reporters on June 9 that during U.S.-South Korea talks on June 2-3, the South Korean side noted that it would build a nuclear-powered submarine in South Korea using local technology, and the official added that the U.S. side did not raise objections.

South Korea, U.S.: Submarine Talks Could Facilitate Broader Security Cooperation

Venezuela

Economics

Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello ruled out dialogue between the Venezuelan government and the opposition in a response to opposition leader Maria Corina Machado's proposal to negotiate a democratic transition with the interim government, El Pais reported on June 8.

Venezuela: Interior Minister Rules Out Government Dialogue With Opposition

Kazakhstan

Energy

Hyundai Engineering received a letter of award from Kazakhstan's QazaqGaz for the Karachaganak gas treatment facility project in western Kazakhstan, which will include a gas processing facility and related infrastructure able to process up to 5 billion cubic meters of raw gas per year at the Karachaganak complex, Seoul Economic Daily reported on June 8. 

Kazakhstan, South Korea: Hyundai Wins Karachaganak Gas Processing Project

Iran

Israel

Lebanon

U.S. President Donald Trump said late on June 8 that the United States was in the "final throes" of a deal with Iran that could be signed within a few days, Al Jazeera reported on June 9.

U.S., Iran: Indirect Negotiations Continue, No Concessions Announced

U.S.-Iran Relations

Indonesia

Indonesia's parliament unanimously amended the country's national police law to allow active duty officers to serve in civilian ministries and state agencies without first resigning from the police force, Reuters reported on June 9.

Indonesia: Jakarta Expands Police Role in Civilian Government

South Africa

Anti-immigration activists in South Africa rejected the government's June 7 pledges to crack down on illegal immigration as insufficient and held broadly peaceful protests in Ekurhuleni, during which they warned businesses across the country to end the employment of all foreign nationals by June 30, Daily Maverick reported on June 8.

South Africa: Anti-Immigration Activists Reject Ramaphosa's Pledge To Crack Down on Illegal Immigration

India

Hundreds of people gathered on June 6 in New Delhi, India, after police authorized the first in-person protest of the "Cockroach Janta Party" online youth group at the Jantar Mantar demonstration site, demanding the education minister resign amid recent scandals linked to school exams, Hindustan Times reported on June 7.

India: Youth Group Draws Hundreds in First Protest, Issues Ultimatum for Education Minister's Resignation

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

Below are our latest and most relevant politics analyses.

Sub-Saharan Africa

Americas

Asia-Pacific

Europe

Eurasia

Middle East and North Africa

South Asia

The Post-Apartheid Era Ends

Venezuela's Unraveling

The Saudi Survival Strategy

The Kurdish Struggle

Israel's Survival Strategy

Turkey's Resurgence

EU: Regional Blocs

Divided EU Foreign Policies

Brexit

Old Leaders in a New Africa

The U.S. and the Balance of Power

The Pulse of Political Islam

Broken Contracts in the Middle East

Russia's Internal Struggle

China in Transition

Southeast Asia: Burdened by Consensus

India's Own Worst Enemy

Pakistan: A Military With a Country

Snapshots

Brazil

A passerby walks past the Banco Master building in Sao Paulo on Jan. 22, 2026, after Brazil's central bank ordered its shutdown due to a major liquidity crunch and "serious violations" of financial regulations.

Brazil faces severe institutional friction and heightened market volatility as a widening investigation into massive financial fraud threatens to ensnare prominent politicians, justices and businesspeople.

Deepening Corruption Scandal Could Upend Brazilian Presidential Race

Assessments

A Ukrainian flag flies in Riga, Latvia, on May 18, 2026.

Even a sustainable peace settlement would leave Kyiv grappling with a $600 billion reconstruction bill, demanding high levels of foreign direct investment and stringent governance reforms.

Ukraine's Defense Will Continue To Strain Government Finances

People pass by a building in Ramat Gan, Israel, that was destroyed by an Iranian ballistic missile on May 5, 2026. 

Recent direct strikes between Israel and Iran did not immediately collapse the regional truce, but recurrent tit-for-tat escalations would reduce the chance of an agreement between Washington and Tehran.

Iran-Israel Escalation Threatens Negotiations To End Iran War

Media

Podcasts

Will the United States continue to pay the "blood and treasure" tax to subsidize global energy security, or is the Hormuz war the catalyst for a fundamental retrenchment?

The Decision Advantage: What the Hormuz War Means for U.S. Grand Strategy

Peru

China

North Korea

Armenia

A banner depicting the closure of the Strait of Hormuz on June 3 in Tehran. There will be an elevated risk of sporadic U.S.-Iran clashes over the next week, as no signs of a diplomatic breakthrough in U.S.-Iran negotiations on a memorandum of understanding have emerged.

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

The Weekly Rundown: Armenian Elections, Xi Goes to North Korea

Taiwan

How has U.S. grand strategy in the Pacific changed over time?

The Decision Advantage: Taiwan Arms Sales and the U.S.-China Trade War

U.S.-China Relations

Chinese President Xi Jinping (left) gestures to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un before a military parade in Beijing's Tiananmen Square on Sept. 3, 2025. 

North Korea's growing relations with Russia and potential reengagement with the U.S. appear to be driving China to pursue a rapprochement after years of diplomatic inaction.

Xi-Kim Summit Signals a Thaw in Long-Frozen Ties Between China and North Korea

Bahrain

Kuwait

Oman

Saudi Arabia

United Arab Emirates

Guests stand outside a model carriage of the "Dream of the Desert" ultra-luxury train on display during the Future Investment Initiative conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Oct. 28, 2025.

Efforts to create new export routes via railways and pipelines will be hampered by regional mistrust, uncertain commercial viability and long construction timelines, ultimately keeping Gulf states reliant on the Strait of Hormuz.

All Roads Lead to Hormuz: The Limits of Gulf Infrastructure Diversification

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer (right) addresses journalists next to U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent following a new round of trade discussions with Chinese officials at the OECD headquarters in Paris on March 16, 2026.

The scope of the Section 301 levies and the rapid investigations underpinning them portend more legal challenges, but this will not deter the White House from continuing its broader push to more sustainably implement its global tariff regime.

Trump Tries Again To Impose Sweeping Global Tariffs

Switzerland

Citizens vote by raising their hands during the Landsgemeinde, a traditional public, non-secret ballot conducted by majority rule, in Appenzell, eastern Switzerland, on April 26.

Global Trade

If approved, the cap on the permanent resident population would compel Swiss companies to accelerate capital investment and automation initiatives to offset reduced EU migration.


Swiss Population Referendum Threatens Growth and EU Relations

Azerbaijan

Thousands of Armenians participate in a rally in Yerevan's Republic Square on May 26, 2024. 

Prime Minister Pashinyan's likely reelection will empower him to finalize a peace treaty with Azerbaijan and deepen ties with the West, though Russian economic pressure and domestic opposition to constitutional changes could undermine these efforts.

What's at Stake in Armenia's Upcoming Election

Turkey

A window view from Turkey's Eastern Express train. 

Improved relations could unlock strategic and economic benefits for both countries, especially if their border is reopened, though Russia's entrenched influence in Armenia remains a key constraint.

Russian Coercion Will Constrain Budding Turkey-Armenia Rapprochement

Politics

SITUATION REPORTS

Russia: Balashikha Car Bombing Exposes Threat to Moscow's Military Elite

South Korea, U.S.: Submarine Talks Could Facilitate Broader Security Cooperation

Venezuela: Interior Minister Rules Out Government Dialogue With Opposition

Kazakhstan, South Korea: Hyundai Wins Karachaganak Gas Processing Project

U.S., Iran: Indirect Negotiations Continue, No Concessions Announced

Indonesia: Jakarta Expands Police Role in Civilian Government

South Africa: Anti-Immigration Activists Reject Ramaphosa's Pledge To Crack Down on Illegal Immigration

India: Youth Group Draws Hundreds in First Protest, Issues Ultimatum for Education Minister's Resignation

Forecasts

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