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Russia-Ukraine Conflict

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States has nearly exhausted major sanctions options against Russia after targeting its largest oil companies, Rosneft and Lukoil, in October, Politico reported on Nov. 13. 

U.S., Russia, Ukraine: Rubio Says Sanctions Near Limit as Russian Forces Advance in Pokrovsk

Military & Security

In a wide-ranging interview to Russian media, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow had not announced or prepared any nuclear weapons tests, denying that it is following Washington's lead after U.S. President Donald Trump's comments about restarting U.S. testing, the Russian foreign ministry published on Nov. 12.

Russia: Lavrov Reemerges To Distance Moscow From Nuclear Escalation Talk

Russia fired hundreds of drones and over 30 hard-to-intercept ballistic and cluster munitions, destroying Ukraine's thermal power generation and targeting substations supplying its nuclear plants, Ukrainska Pravda reported on Nov. 10.

Ukraine, Russia: Ukraine Seeks IAEA Action After Russian Strikes Cripple Power Grid

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha confirmed that Russian forces have fired the Novator 9M729 ground-launched cruise missile, once banned under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, 23 times since August, Reuters reported on Oct. 31.

Russia, Ukraine: Russia Uses Novator Cruise Missile Against Ukraine, Marking Dangerous Escalation

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow successfully tested the Poseidon nuclear-powered undersea torpedo, calling it a "huge success," Reuters reported on Oct. 29.

Russia: Putin Touts Nuclear-Powered Torpedo 'Test' as U.S.-Russia Diplomacy Falters

Russian troops entered the eastern Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk, turning parts of the key logistics hub into street-to-street fighting, the Financial Times reported on Oct. 27. 

Ukraine: Russia Pushes Into Pokrovsk as Urban Combat Intensifies

Ukraine launched a coordinated wave of drone attacks, targeting Moscow and multiple Russian regions, including the border area of Belgorod, Reuters reported on Oct. 27.

Ukraine, Russia: Twin Drone Strikes Hit Moscow and Belgorod Dam in Deep-Strike Escalation

Russian President Vladimir Putin personally oversaw Russia's large-scale annual readiness test of its strategic nuclear triad, involving land, sea and air-based launches, Reuters reported on Oct. 22.

Russia, Ukraine: Putin Flexes Nuclear Muscle as Ground Offensive Falters

Assessments

Europe

A screen is seen during the International military anti drone exercise Baltic Trust 25 (BATT25) at the Selonia (Selija) military training ground near Viesite on Aug. 27, 2025.

The European Union is pushing to develop continent-wide anti-drone capabilities, but financial, political and legal fragmentation will significantly slow progress and leave the bloc's defense vulnerable.

Despite Political Enthusiasm, EU Drone Defenses Face Obstacles to Implementation

Venezuela

Spain

Uzbekistan

Tajikistan

Turkmenistan

Kazakhstan

Kyrgyzstan

Tanks on Sept. 23 in Caracas, Venezuela. The Trump administration has reportedly decided to attack military sites in Venezuela in strikes that could occur at any moment.

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

The Weekly Rundown: Potential U.S. Strikes in Venezuela, U.S. Outreach in Central Asia

A flag displaying the logo for Russia's Lukoil oil giant flies near a Russian flag in Moscow on Oct. 23, 2025.

The sanctions on Rosneft and Lukoil aim to financially coerce Russia into negotiating a ceasefire in Ukraine, but patchy enforcement and continued Asian demand for Russian crude will limit the impact.

New U.S. Sanctions Strike at the Heart of Russia's War Economy

Columns

On Geopolitics

China

Germany

Slovakia

Hungary

European Council President Antonio Costa and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrive for a meeting of the European Council on Oct. 23. The EU pursuit of geopolitical independence is being severely tested by Russia's direct security aggression, China's control over critical raw materials and competing economic pressures from the United States.

The EU pursuit of geopolitical independence is being severely tested by Russia's direct security aggression, China's control over critical raw materials and competing economic pressures from the United States.

Europe's Dual Challenge From China and Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (L) attends a lunch meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump (R) at the White House on Oct. 17, 2025, in Washington, D.C. 

Recent statements by U.S. President Donald Trump suggest a significant U.S. pivot toward a negotiated settlement in Ukraine that prioritizes freezing the conflict and may involve territorial concessions favorable to Moscow.

Trump Signals Shift Toward Russian Position on Ukraine Ahead of Putin Meeting

Israel

Palestinian Territories

Australia

U.S. President Donald Trump (R) and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Aug. 15, 2025, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska. Delegations from the United States and Russia, including U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Affairs Minister Sergey Lavrov, respectively, will meet this week to resume conversations about their countries' bilateral relationship and the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Israel-Hamas Conflict

The Weekly Rundown: U.S. and Russian Delegations Meet, a Still-Fragile Hamas-Israel Ceasefire 

Russian flag on a cracked wall, illustrating an economic decline with a downward arrow. 

Despite high consumer confidence, underlying economic indicators show a significant contraction in non-defense industrial production, slowing consumption and falling investment, signaling that the Kremlin's war economy is steadily deteriorating.

Russia's War Economy Is Faltering

Media

Podcasts

Global Trade

What should companies be on the lookout for through the end of 2025 and beyond?

Essential Geopolitics: Trends From RANE's 2025 Fourth-Quarter Forecast

Sub-Saharan Africa

Americas

Middle East and North Africa

Asia-Pacific

Eurasia

South Asia

Forecast Webcast

Join our analysts for this webcast recording exploring key topics identified in RANE's 2025 Fourth-Quarter Forecast.

2025 Fourth-Quarter Forecast Webcast

U.S.-China Relations

The fourth quarter will bring shifting trade tactics, evolving wars, and pivotal elections and flashpoints worldwide that will test governments’ stability and market confidence.

2025 Fourth-Quarter Forecast: An Excerpt

Guyana

Japan

The President of the 80th session of the U.N. General Assembly and former German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock speaks during a General Assembly meeting to vote on a two-state solution to the Palestinian question on Sept. 12 at the United Nations in New York. Countries including Australia, Canada, France and the United Kingdom will likely formally recognize Palestinian statehood over the next several days at the assembly.

The Weekly Rundown: Western Countries Recognize Palestine, the EU Discusses a 'Drone Wall'

Snapshots

Poland

Russia's drone incursion into Poland highlights Moscow's increasing willingness to test Western resolve as it continues mass airstrikes on Ukraine, prepares for war games in Belarus and negotiations to end the war are stalled. 


Russia-Ukraine Conflict

SITUATION REPORTS

U.S., Russia, Ukraine: Rubio Says Sanctions Near Limit as Russian Forces Advance in Pokrovsk

Russia: Lavrov Reemerges To Distance Moscow From Nuclear Escalation Talk

Ukraine, Russia: Ukraine Seeks IAEA Action After Russian Strikes Cripple Power Grid

Russia, Ukraine: Russia Uses Novator Cruise Missile Against Ukraine, Marking Dangerous Escalation

Russia: Putin Touts Nuclear-Powered Torpedo 'Test' as U.S.-Russia Diplomacy Falters

Ukraine: Russia Pushes Into Pokrovsk as Urban Combat Intensifies

Ukraine, Russia: Twin Drone Strikes Hit Moscow and Belgorod Dam in Deep-Strike Escalation

Russia, Ukraine: Putin Flexes Nuclear Muscle as Ground Offensive Falters

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