United States

Ukraine

Russia

Military & Security

Politics

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

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

Economics

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

Russia's military leadership proposed a new law that would allow volunteer reservists to help protect energy plants, railways and other vital infrastructure within their home regions from Ukrainian drone attacks, Interfax reported on Oct. 22.

Russia: Volunteer Reservists To Guard Key Infrastructure From Drone Attacks

The United States stopped work on facilitating a summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Politico reported on Oct. 21, citing a U.S. official given anonymity to speak on the matter.

Russia, U.S.: White House Official Says Putin-Trump Summit on Hold

Energy

Russia launched a massive overnight barrage of drones and missiles targeting Ukraine's gas and power infrastructure in the Poltava, Vinnytsia, Sumy and Kharkiv regions, forcing shutdowns at key production sites and deepening nationwide electricity deficits, Bloomberg reported on Oct. 16. 

Ukraine, Russia: Sustained Russian Strikes Threaten Ukraine's Energy Security, Testing National Resilience

After a phone call with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Oct. 16, U.S. President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social that the conversation was "very productive" and that there will be a meeting of high level advisors from both countries "next week."

U.S., Russia: Trump Speaks With Putin, Announces Upcoming Meetings

Assessments

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

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

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

Europe

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. 


Russian Drones Crossing into Poland Risk Escalation with NATO

Ecuador

Mexico

North Korea

India

Helicopters fly in the sky during a rehearsal for a military parade Aug. 24 in Beijing.

The Weekly Rundown: An SCO Summit, Rubio Closes Security Deals With Mexico and Ecuador

Trump and Zelensky at the White House West Wing in Washington, DC, on August 18, 2025.

Even as President Trump floats the possibility of a trilateral summit with Putin and Zelensky, a breakthrough in negotiations is unlikely given the Kremlin's noncommittal response to the Aug. 18 White House talks. 

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

SITUATION REPORTS

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

Russia: Volunteer Reservists To Guard Key Infrastructure From Drone Attacks

Russia, U.S.: White House Official Says Putin-Trump Summit on Hold

Ukraine, Russia: Sustained Russian Strikes Threaten Ukraine's Energy Security, Testing National Resilience

U.S., Russia: Trump Speaks With Putin, Announces Upcoming Meetings

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