Canada

Politics

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announced on May 21 that the province will hold a non-binding referendum in October asking residents whether Alberta should remain part of Canada, Reuters reported the same day.

Canada: Alberta Announces Referendum on Whether to Begin Independence Legal Process

United States

China

Taiwan

Military & Security

U.S. Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao ​told a Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee hearing that a pending $14 billion arms sale to Taiwan would be paused to ensure sufficient air defense munitions for the Iran war, Reuters reported May 22.

U.S., Taiwan: Trump Administration Delays Arms Sale, Likely for China Trade Benefits

Turkey

An appeals court in Turkey declared the 2023 leadership election for the Republican People's Party (CHP) invalid, nullifying the leadership posts of its top officials, including party leader Ozgur Ozel, the BBC reported on May 22. 

Turkey: Appeals Court Ousts Opposition Party Leadership

Europe

Germany

Poland

U.S. President Donald Trump pledged an additional 5,000 troops to Poland in a Truth Social post on May 21. 

Poland, U.S.: Trump Pledges To Deploy 5,000 Troops to Poland 

U.S.-Iran Relations

North Korea

Chinese President Xi Jinping may visit Pyongyang, North Korea, to speak with supreme leader Kim Jong Un as soon as late May or early June, according to senior government officials cited by South Korea's Yonhap news agency.

China, North Korea: Xi May Visit Pyongyang to Preempt Trump-Kim Talks

Mexico

The Mexican government submitted proposed changes to Congress to the judicial reform approved in 2024, El Pais reported May 20.

Mexico: Government Proposes Changes to Judicial Reform

China is delaying approval for a summer visit to Beijing by U.S. Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby until President Donald Trump makes a decision on a pending $14 billion U.S. arms sale to Taiwan, according to sources cited in a May 20 Financial Times report.

China, U.S., Taiwan: Colby Visit Hinges on Arms Sale, Trump Vows to Talk With Lai

U.S.-China Relations

Middle East and North Africa

Iran

Israel

Economics

The latest U.S. negotiation proposal has "narrowed the gaps" between U.S. and Iranian demands, though some gaps remain, according to the Iranian Students' News Agency cited by Bloomberg on May 21.

U.S., Iran: Iranian Media Says Latest U.S. Proposal 'Narrows Gaps'

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

Eurasia

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

Lebanon

Japan

Philippines

Armenia

Kazakhstan

Russia

India

A cargo ship anchored May 16 in the Strait of Hormuz near Larak Island, Iran. Major gaps in negotiations over the Strait of Hormuz and Iran's nuclear program persist, and the U.S.-Iran ceasefire will remain fragile over the next week.

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

The Weekly Rundown: Rubio Visits India, a Fragile U.S.-Iran Ceasefire

Cuba

Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche (center) speaks during a news conference announcing the indictment of former Cuban president Raul Castro, at the Freedom Tower in Miami, Florida, on May 20, 2026.

Energy

Recent U.S. escalations against Cuba are creating a pretext for kinetic action, most likely a targeted operation to capture key officials, though an airstrike campaign and/or a ground deployment also remain possible.

Assessing the Potential for U.S. Military Action in Cuba

Greenland

Denmark

U.S. special envoy to Greenland, Republican Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry (center right), and Greenlandic mason and Trump supporter Jorgen Boassen (center left) are pictured in Nuuk, Greenland, on May 20, 2026, on the sidelines of the Future Greenland business fair. 

Ongoing talks with Greenland and Denmark will likely yield a deal that meets most U.S. objectives without requiring formal annexation, though a broader transatlantic crisis remains possible if negotiations collapse.

Can the U.S. Reach a Compromise on Greenland That Averts a Transatlantic Crisis?

Palestinian Territories

United Kingdom

Slovenia

Spain

Ireland

Hungary

The EU and Israeli flags in March 2024 in central Berlin's Rotes Rathaus. Although the European Union has sanctioned extremist Israeli settlers, deep-seated internal divisions and a reliance on Israeli defense systems will likely prevent the bloc from imposing comprehensive trade restrictions.

Israel-Hamas Conflict

Although the European Union has sanctioned extremist Israeli settlers, deep-seated internal divisions and a reliance on Israeli defense systems will likely prevent the bloc from imposing comprehensive trade restrictions.

Targeted EU Sanctions on Israeli Settlers Unlikely To Broaden Into Wider Restrictions 

Egypt

Jordan

Qatar

Saudi Arabia

Syria

United Arab Emirates

Yemen

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

Bahrain

Kuwait

Oman

Social Issues

The Geopolitics of Demographics

Gulf states' push to employ more local citizens in the private sector will help advance their economies and reduce public wage bills, but it will also create new risks for businesses that have traditionally relied on cheap foreign labor.

The Future of Work in the GCC: Localization, Competition and Business Risks

South Korea

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

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

Snapshots

U.S. President Donald Trump (right) shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on May 14, 2026.

Despite a mutual desire to stabilize relations, Xi and Trump's meetings produced few tangible results, sustaining the risk of future tariff escalations, export restrictions and other coercive measures.

Xi-Trump Talks Fail To Move the Needle on Major Issues

Uzbekistan

Tajikistan

Turkmenistan

Afghanistan

Pakistan

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

U.K. Health Secretary Wes Streeting arrives at the University of Kent in Canterbury, England, on March 19, 2026, as students receive the Meningitis B vaccine.

While a leadership transition would prolong market volatility, any new prime minister would likely maintain policy continuity and fiscal discipline, differing only on the specific execution of budget restraint and EU rapprochement.

Starmer's Days Appear Numbered After U.K. Health Secretary Quits

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

U.S. President Donald Trump (right) and Chinese President Xi Jinping attend a bilateral meeting in Busan, South Korea, on Oct. 30, 2025.

Environment, Science & Technology

The May 14-15 meetings will likely yield a limited extension of the current U.S.-China economic detente while leaving core strategic disputes over technology controls, Taiwan and Iran largely unresolved.

Trump-Xi Summit Likely To Preserve Trade Truce, Test Strategic Fault Lines

Politics

SITUATION REPORTS

Canada: Alberta Announces Referendum on Whether to Begin Independence Legal Process

U.S., Taiwan: Trump Administration Delays Arms Sale, Likely for China Trade Benefits

Turkey: Appeals Court Ousts Opposition Party Leadership

Poland, U.S.: Trump Pledges To Deploy 5,000 Troops to Poland

China, North Korea: Xi May Visit Pyongyang to Preempt Trump-Kim Talks

Mexico: Government Proposes Changes to Judicial Reform

China, U.S., Taiwan: Colby Visit Hinges on Arms Sale, Trump Vows to Talk With Lai

U.S., Iran: Iranian Media Says Latest U.S. Proposal 'Narrows Gaps'

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