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Russia-Ukraine Conflict

U.S. President Donald Trump said Russia and Ukraine agreed to a three-day ceasefire on May 9-11 and a 1,000-for-1,000 prisoner swap, according to his May 8 Truth Social post. 

Russia, Ukraine: Trump Announces Three-Day Victory Day Ceasefire

Iran

Europe

European Council President Antonio Costa said the European Union is preparing for potential future talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and is consulting EU leaders on how to organize a possible European approach to Moscow with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's support, the Financial Times reported on May 8.

EU, Russia, Ukraine: Europe Prepares Russia Channel as U.S.-Led Talks Stall

The U.S. Department of State approved a foreign military sale to Ukraine of up to $374 million worth of extended-range Joint Direct Attack Munition kits and related equipment, Bloomberg reported on May 5. 

U.S., Ukraine: Washington Approves Guided Bomb Kit Sale To Sustain Ukraine's Precision-Strike Capacity

Energy

Ukraine's repeated drone strikes on Russian energy infrastructure in April, including a fourth attack on Tuapse within a month, pushed Russian refining runs down to their lowest level since 2009, The Moscow Times reported on May 1.

Russia, Ukraine: Ukrainian Strikes Force Tighter Russian Fuel Management

Russian President Vladimir Putin used his April 29 call with U.S. President Donald Trump to discuss a possible ceasefire around Russia's May 9 Victory Day commemorations, alongside talks on Ukraine, Iran and possible future economic and energy cooperation, TASS reported on April 29, citing Putin's aide Yuri Ushakov.

Russia, Ukraine: Putin Seeks Brief Ceasefire To Protect Victory Day Parade

Economics

The Cypriot presidency of the European Union announced that the bloc had approved the long-delayed package of 90 billion euros (about $106 billion) in financial support for Ukraine and had "preliminarily approved" the 20th package of sanctions against Russia, The Guardian reported on April 22.

EU, Russia, Ukraine: EU Approves Money for Ukraine and Sanctions for Russia

Hungary

Ahead of a meeting between EU foreign affairs ministers in Brussels, Belgium, on April 21, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said ​she expected "positive decisions" on the 90 billion euro ($105.94 ‌billion) loan for Ukraine, Reuters reported.

EU, Ukraine: EU To Approve Long-Delayed Ukraine Loan in the Coming Days

Germany

Germany and Ukraine signed defense cooperation agreements and launched plans for joint drone production during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to Berlin, Reuters reported on April 14.

Germany, Ukraine: Berlin and Kyiv Sign Drone and Defense Cooperation Accords

Snapshots

Russian officers patrol central Moscow on May 5, 2026, in front of the Kremlin, a few days ahead of the Victory Day military parade, to be held at Red Square on May 9. 

While Ukraine is unlikely to attack Moscow during the May 9 parade, its expanding long-range strike capabilities will steadily increase the war's political, economic and psychological toll on Russia ahead of the September elections.

Ukrainian Strikes Put Russia on Edge Ahead of Victory Day Parade

Assessments

Lithuania

Latvia

Estonia

Eurasia

A soldier from the "Taifun" unmanned aerial vehicle unit prepares a new strike drone for flight on April 7, 2026 in Ukraine. 

Although Moscow is threatening retaliation against Baltic states over supposed involvement in Ukraine's drone attacks on Russian energy infrastructure, the Kremlin will not risk a direct military confrontation with NATO.


Direct NATO-Russia Confrontation in the Baltic Unlikely, Despite Ukrainian Strikes on Russian Energy Infrastructure 

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Israel-Hamas Conflict

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The second quarter will test global resilience as lingering conflicts and energy shocks converge to heighten economic uncertainty and geopolitical volatility.

2026 Second-Quarter Forecast: An Excerpt

Israel

Denmark

France

Italy

The European Parliament building in 2019 in Strasbourg, France. Parliament is set to hold a plenary vote March 26 on implementing the 2025 EU‑U.S. trade framework agreement.

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 Vote on the EU‑U.S. Trade Framework, the Iran Conflict Continues

U.S.-Iran Relations

Russian President Vladimir Putin holds a meeting in Moscow on the global oil and gas market situation on March 9, 2026.

The current surge in demand for Russian oil will likely be short-lived, but weaker sanctions enforcement and higher energy prices could nonetheless buoy Moscow's capacity to fund its war in Ukraine.

In Twist of Fate, Russia Gets a Boost From Iran-Related Oil Shocks

China

Japan

A large plume of smoke rises March 7 over Tehran after explosions were reported in the Iranian capital during the night.

The Weekly Rundown: The Iran War Continues, Takaichi Meets With Trump

A Ukrainian serviceman stands next to a truck equipped with a machine gun during an air raid alert in Kyiv on Jan. 24, 2026, amid Russia’s ongoing invasion.

Russia's ability to sustain its war efforts despite mounting economic strain, combined with the U.S.'s new focus on Iran, makes meaningful progress in peace talks unlikely anytime soon.

Ukraine War Enters Its Fifth Year, With No Near End in Sight

City authorities and businesses rebuild residential buildings damaged by Russian shelling in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on July 12, 2023.

While European governments can fund Ukraine's war effort this year and next, securing the investment needed to rebuild damaged infrastructure will face significant political, economic and structural hurdles.

The Challenge of Rebuilding Ukraine's Economy

Columns

On Geopolitics

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky attends a press conference at the European Commission's headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on Aug. 17, 2025.

Despite its strategic imperative to secure Ukraine's Western alignment, the EU remains unlikely to grant the country full or partial membership anytime soon due to numerous challenges, with the ongoing war being chief among them.

To Keep the Promise of Ukraine's Accession Alive, the EU Mulls Alternative Options

Palestinian Territories

Indonesia

Vietnam

Slovakia

India

U.S. President Donald Trump (C) holds up his signature on the founding charter of the Board of Peace among other world leaders at the World Economic Forum on Jan. 22 in Davos, Switzerland.

The Weekly Rundown: The Board of Peace Convenes, Russia-Ukraine-U.S. Talks in Geneva

United Arab Emirates

Emirati flags on Feb. 4 in Abu Dhabi, UAE. On Feb. 4-5, delegations from Russia, Ukraine and the United States held a second round of trilateral talks in the United Arab Emirates.

The talks are unlikely to produce a near-term settlement, as Russia will continue to press its territorial demands while using diplomacy to manage sanctions pressure and build leverage ahead of a spring-summer offensive.

The Limits of Russia-Ukraine-U.S. Talks

Russian soldiers wear chemical protection suits as they stand next to a military fueler on the base of a prime mover of Russian Topol intercontinental ballistic missile during a training session at the Serpukhov's military missile forces research institute some 100km outside Moscow on April 6, 2010.

Over time, this will intensify an ongoing buildup of nuclear capabilities across the globe and make crises involving nuclear powers more unpredictable and prone to miscalculations. 


Implications of the Last Major U.S.-Russian Nuclear Arms Control Agreement's Expiration

U.S.-China Relations

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

SITUATION REPORTS

Russia, Ukraine: Trump Announces Three-Day Victory Day Ceasefire

EU, Russia, Ukraine: Europe Prepares Russia Channel as U.S.-Led Talks Stall

U.S., Ukraine: Washington Approves Guided Bomb Kit Sale To Sustain Ukraine's Precision-Strike Capacity

Russia, Ukraine: Ukrainian Strikes Force Tighter Russian Fuel Management

Russia, Ukraine: Putin Seeks Brief Ceasefire To Protect Victory Day Parade

EU, Russia, Ukraine: EU Approves Money for Ukraine and Sanctions for Russia

EU, Ukraine: EU To Approve Long-Delayed Ukraine Loan in the Coming Days

Germany, Ukraine: Berlin and Kyiv Sign Drone and Defense Cooperation Accords

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