Ukraine

Military & Security

Politics

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appointed Kyrylo Budanov, the 39-year-old head of Ukraine's military intelligence service (HUR), as his new chief of staff, filling the post vacated in November by Andriy Yermak after a corruption scandal, Dzerkalo Tyzhnia reported Jan. 2.

Ukraine: Zelensky Names Head of Military Intelligence as New Chief of Staff 

Taiwan

Economics

Taiwan's opposition-led legislature failed to pass a budget by the Dec. 31, 2025, deadline for the beginning of the Jan. 1 fiscal year, marking the first such failure in the democracy's 30-year history.

Taiwan: 2026 Budget Delayed, Bringing Political Dysfunction to New Heights

Asia-Pacific

Philippines

The chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was passed from Malaysia to the Philippines on Jan. 1, The Star reported. As 2026 chair, Manila will set the bloc's agenda for the year.

Asia-Pacific: The Philippines Assumes 2026 ASEAN Chairmanship

Indonesia

Indonesia has formally enforced its new Criminal Code, which was passed in 2022 and replaces a Dutch colonial-era legal framework that had governed criminal law in the country for more than a century, the Jakarta Globe reported Jan. 2.

Indonesia: New Criminal Code Takes Effect, Replacing Colonial-Era Legal Framework

United States

Cambodia

China

Thailand

A Cambodian defense ministry spokesperson announced on Dec. 31 that the ministry had received the transfer of 18 Cambodian soldiers who had been detained in Thailand since a previous round of border clashes between the two sides in July.

Thailand, Cambodia: Bangkok Releases Prisoners in Line With Ceasefire

Guinea

Guinean junta leader Mamady Doumbouya won the country's Dec. 28 presidential election with 86.72% of the vote, according to preliminary results from the country's General Directorate of Elections, Radio France Internationale reported on Dec. 31. 

Guinea: Junta Leader Doumbouya Elected in Low-Suspense Elections 

Canada

Mexico

Energy

London-based Harbour Energy announced in a Dec. 31 press release that it had been appointed the operator of the Zama oil field project offshore Mexico.

Mexico: Sheinbaum Administration Names Private Company Operator of Zama Oil Field

Cote d'Ivoire

Cote d'Ivoire's ruling Rally of Houphouetists for Democracy and Peace, or RHDP, secured a large legislative majority in the country's Dec. 26 elections, winning 197 of the 255 seats in the National Assembly, Radio France Internationale reported Dec. 29.

Cote d'Ivoire: Ruling Party Secures Landslide Victory in Legislative Elections 

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

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

Venezuela

Fuerte Tiuna, Venezuela's largest military complex, after a series of explosions Jan. 3, 2026, in Caracas amid U.S. strikes.

The detention of the Venezuelan president creates a power vacuum that risks triggering violent unrest while establishing a precedent for further U.S. interventionism in Latin America.

U.S. Capture of Maduro Could Lead to Instability and Unrest in Venezuela, Wider Region

Assessments

Saudi Arabia

United Arab Emirates

Yemen

North Korea

South Korea

A U.S. Marine Corps F-35B fighter jet takes off from Jose Aponte de la Torre Airport on December 15, 2025 in Ceiba, Puerto Rico. If U.S. strikes escalate and cause significant casualties, it could make retaliatory measures -- including the arbitrary detention of U.S. citizens in Venezuela or the harassment of energy sector vessels in the region -- more likely.

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

The Weekly Rundown: South Korea's President Visits Beijing, U.S. Operations in Venezuela

Columns

On Geopolitics

A NASA satellite image shows the city lights of Europe. 

Global Trade

Israel-Hamas Conflict

In this scorecard, we take a critical look at our hits and misses in forecasting geopolitical events over the past year.

Grading Our 2025 Annual Forecast

U.S.-China Relations

Benin

Burkina Faso

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Madagascar

Mali

Niger

Nigeria

Rwanda

Paraguay

Egypt

Iran

Israel

Lebanon

Morocco

Palestinian Territories

Qatar

Syria

Turkey

Australia

Timor-Leste

Japan

Mongolia

Myanmar

Vietnam

Bulgaria

Russia

Afghanistan

India

Nepal

Pakistan

Flight routes.

Cyber

Environment, Science & Technology

As 2026 approaches, we look back at the previous year and consider the top five patterns and trends as measured by geopolitical impact.

2025: A Geopolitical Review

Media

Podcasts

How has U.S. interest in the Middle East evolved over time? 

Essential Geopolitics: A Historical Look Back on U.S.-Middle East Relations

U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelensky at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida, on Dec. 28, 2025.

While the U.S. and Ukrainian presidents have narrowed their differences on a 20-point peace framework, the Kremlin's insistence on full control of the Donbas complicates the prospects of a negotiated deal.

Ukraine Peace Deal Still Elusive Despite Trump-Zelensky Talks

Central African Republic

Cyprus

Kosovo

The Bulgarian flag and the European flag waving in the wind.

The Weekly Rundown: Bulgaria Adopts the Euro, U.S.-Venezuela Tensions Persist

Oman

New Zealand

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi walks alongside Oman's Deputy Prime Minister for Defence Affairs Sayyid Shihab bin Tariq al-Said upon his arrival in Muscat on Dec. 17, 2025.

New trade pacts offer gains in market access and investment but India's protectionist stance on agriculture and dairy remains an obstacle to deals with the United States and European Union. 


Oman and New Zealand Deals Indicate India's Push To Diversify Trade Partnerships

Yemenis gather during a rally to show their support for the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC), which wants to revive an independent South Yemen, as they wave the old South Yemen flag in Khormaksar Square, in the coastal port city of Aden on Dec. 14, 2025. 

Achieving South Arabian independence will require Yemen's Southern Transitional Council to overcome the historical challenges that have long plagued the governance of Yemen writ large, like tribalism and regionalism.

The Precarious Path to South Arabian Independence

United Kingdom

The Sevington Inland Border Facility on April 29, 2024, in southeast England. Rejoining the EU customs framework would require London to accept a common external tariff and strict regulatory alignment, meaning a successful negotiation remains unlikely in the short to medium term.

Rejoining the bloc's customs framework would require London to accept a common external tariff and strict regulatory alignment, meaning a successful negotiation remains unlikely in the short to medium term.

Despite Growing Calls, U.K. Unlikely To Rejoin EU Customs Union

Germany

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz addresses the Bundestag on Dec 17 in Berlin. Persistent internal divisions and narrow parliamentary majorities are forcing the dilution of key economic and defense initiatives, undermining investor confidence in Germany's capacity for reform.

Persistent internal divisions and narrow parliamentary majorities are forcing the dilution of key economic and defense initiatives, undermining investor confidence in Germany's capacity for reform.

Deadlock and Dissent Leave Merz's Reform Agenda Floundering

A U.S. Marine Corps AV-8B Harrier II on Dec. 15 taxis at Jose Aponte de la Torre Airport in Ceiba, Puerto Rico.

The Weekly Rundown: French Budget Deadlock, U.S.-Russia Talks in Miami

Politics

SITUATION REPORTS

Ukraine: Zelensky Names Head of Military Intelligence as New Chief of Staff

Taiwan: 2026 Budget Delayed, Bringing Political Dysfunction to New Heights

Asia-Pacific: The Philippines Assumes 2026 ASEAN Chairmanship

Indonesia: New Criminal Code Takes Effect, Replacing Colonial-Era Legal Framework

Thailand, Cambodia: Bangkok Releases Prisoners in Line With Ceasefire

Guinea: Junta Leader Doumbouya Elected in Low-Suspense Elections

Mexico: Sheinbaum Administration Names Private Company Operator of Zama Oil Field

Cote d'Ivoire: Ruling Party Secures Landslide Victory in Legislative Elections

Forecasts

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