United States

Ukraine

Russia

Military & Security

Politics

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky ruled out recognizing the Donbas region as Russian territory "either de jure or de facto," Interfax-Ukraine reported on Dec. 16.

Ukraine, Russia: Zelensky Rules Out Territorial Concessions in Donbas

Sudan

Saudi Arabia

Sudan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, backed by the Sudanese Armed Forces, or SAF, affirmed SAF Chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan's "keenness" to work with U.S. President Donald Trump to resolve Sudan's civil war between the SAF and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, Al Arabiya reported on Dec. 16.

Sudan: SAF Stresses Readiness To Work With Trump To End Civil War

Burundi

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Rwanda

Corneille Nangaa, the leader of the Alliance for the Congo River -- a rebel coalition also known as the AFC and that includes the Rwandan-backed M23 -- announced in a statement on X dated Dec. 15 that the group would unilaterally withdraw its forces from the eastern Congolese city of Uvira at the request of the United States, Reuters reported on Dec. 16.

Congo: M23 Announces Plan To Withdraw From Uvira Amid U.S. Pressure

Argentina

Economics

The Argentine government announced it would adopt a new monetary framework and adjust its currency trading bands according to monthly inflation starting on Jan. 1, 2026, La Nacion reported on Dec. 15.

Argentina: Government Unveils New Currency Framework and Reserve Accumulation Plan

Colombia

Mexico

Venezuela

U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Dec. 15 in which he designated "illicit fentanyl and its core precursor chemicals" as weapons of mass destruction, or WMD.

U.S.: Trump Designates Fentanyl, Precursors as Weapons of Mass Destruction

Germany

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner concluded two days of negotiations on a security guarantees for Ukraine as part of a potential Russia-Ukraine peace framework, the Financial Times reported on Dec. 15.

Ukraine, U.S.: Berlin Talks Advance Security Framework But Leave Territory Unresolved

Cyber

Energy

Venezuelan state-owned oil company PDVSA claimed it suffered a cyberattack orchestrated by the United States and conspirators in a statement published on Dec. 15, Reuters reported the same day.

Venezuela: State Oil Company Suffers Cyberattack, Accuses U.S.

Hong Kong SAR, China

China

United Kingdom

A Hong Kong national security court found Jimmy Lai, the 78-year-old founder of shuttered pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, guilty on two counts of conspiring to collude with foreign forces under the 2020 National Security Law and one count of sedition under a colonial-era law, Hong Kong Free Press reported on Dec. 15.

Hong Kong, U.S., U.K.: Jimmy Lai Convicted, Raises Dilemma for Trump, Starmer

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

Assessments

A stock photo shows banknotes of the Russian ruble. 

The European Union using immobilized Russian assets to fund financial support for Ukraine will probably not have major reputational or financial consequences for the eurozone.


Using Frozen Russian Assets To Fund Ukraine Unlikely To Majorly Impact the Euro

South Africa

Chile

France

The Ukrainian flag is projected on the facade of Berlaymont, the European Commission headquarters, in Brussels on Nov. 18 to commemorate the Nov. 18, 2024, Russian invasion of Ukraine.

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

The Weekly Rundown: A European Council Decision on Ukraine Financing, South Africa Braces for Commission Findings

Tunisia

Tunisia's President Kais Saied (top-R) waits to take his oath of office during his swearing-in ceremony before the National Assembly in Tunis on Oct. 21, 2024. 

Despite tensions with union leaders, Tunisia's controversial finance bill will introduce reforms that attract foreign investment and increase production in key sectors.

Strikes Loom as Tunisia's Government Undermines Labor Union

Eritrea

Ethiopia

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (center), flanked by his wife (left) and Djibouti's President Ismail Omar Guelleh (right), attends the official inauguration ceremony of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) in Guba, on Sept. 9, 2025.

Worsening tensions over sea access and Eritrea's ties to groups opposed to the Ethiopian government raise the risk of intensifying proxy clashes that could quickly escalate into a larger military confrontation.

Assessing the Risk of an Ethiopia-Eritrea War in 2026

Iran

Israel

Lebanon

Palestinian Territories

Yemen

Israeli air defence systems are activated to intercept Iranian missiles over the Israeli city of Tel Aviv amid a fresh barrage of Iranian rockets on June 16, 2025.

Israel-Hamas Conflict

If effective, the laser air defense system will significantly reduce the cost of intercepting short-range aerial threats and bolster Israel's multilayered protection against aerial attacks.


The Role of Iron Beam in Israel's Evolving Defense Architecture

Jordanian police close the entrance of a Muslim Brotherhood headquarters on April 23, 2025, in Amman, Jordan.

While the White House has initiated a review process to label the Muslim Brotherhood a Foreign Terrorist Organization, it is unlikely to result in a comprehensive ban on the group.

U.S. Unlikely To Broadly Designate Muslim Brotherhood as a Terrorist Organization

Philippines

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. delivers his third State of the Nation Address before lawmakers at the House of Representatives on July 22, 2024 in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines. 

A widespread corruption scandal is threatening to cause political instability in the Philippines, which could lead to policy paralysis and weaken the Philippines' posture against China.

A Corruption Scandal Threatens Political Crisis in the Philippines

Benin

Nigeria

A photo taken on Dec. 8, 2025, shows an armored vehicle at the entrance of a blocked road in Cotonou, Benin, near the headquarters of the state broadcaster Benin TV.

The coup attempt will increase political and security risks ahead of Benin's 2026 elections, while the swift, Nigeria-led ECOWAS intervention suggests Abuja is assuming a more assertive regional role with tacit French backing following Paris's troop drawdown.

Benin's Foiled Coup Signals Strengthening Franco-Nigerian Coordination in West Africa

Cambodia

Thailand

A Thai soldier points out an area on a map near the Cambodian border during a press visit on Aug. 16, 2025, in Sisaket, Thailand. 

Renewed fighting along the border could surpass the July clashes in scale, and while U.S. pressure will likely compel both countries to return to the ceasefire, the risk of future flare-ups will remain high.

Latest Thailand-Cambodia Clashes Will Test U.S. Appetite for Intervention

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

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

Environment, Science & Technology

The Weekly Rundown: Unrest in Tanzania, an EU Summit in Ukraine

U.S.-China Relations

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

Politics

SITUATION REPORTS

Ukraine, Russia: Zelensky Rules Out Territorial Concessions in Donbas

Sudan: SAF Stresses Readiness To Work With Trump To End Civil War

Congo: M23 Announces Plan To Withdraw From Uvira Amid U.S. Pressure

Argentina: Government Unveils New Currency Framework and Reserve Accumulation Plan

U.S.: Trump Designates Fentanyl, Precursors as Weapons of Mass Destruction

Ukraine, U.S.: Berlin Talks Advance Security Framework But Leave Territory Unresolved

Venezuela: State Oil Company Suffers Cyberattack, Accuses U.S.

Hong Kong, U.S., U.K.: Jimmy Lai Convicted, Raises Dilemma for Trump, Starmer

Forecasts

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