Honduras

United States

Military & Security

Politics

Presidential candidate Salvador Nasralla alleged fraud in Honduras' Nov. 30 general election, claiming that "an algorithm changed the data" to benefit candidate Nasry Asfura, Reuters reported on Dec. 4. 

Honduras: Presidential Candidate Alleges Manipulation of Election Results Amid High Political Tensions

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Rwanda

Economics

President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Felix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame signed the "Washington Accords," in which both sides reiterated their commitment to implementing their U.S.-brokered June peace deal, the U.S. State Department said in a press release on Dec. 4.

Congo, Rwanda: Tshisekedi Signs Peace Deal With Kagame, Strategic Partnership With U.S.

Late on the night of Dec. 4, the U.S. Trump administration published its 33-page National Security Strategy, which outlined an "America First" framework that emphasized U.S. sovereignty and retrenchment over past cornerstones of U.S. foreign policy like alliance structures and globalization. 

U.S.: National Security Strategy Lays Out Trump Administration's Priorities

Ukraine

Russia

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

U.S. President Donald Trump described the path toward Russia-Ukraine peace talks as "unclear," Reuters reported on Dec. 3. 

Russia, U.S.: Peace Talks Stall as Putin Issues Donbas Ultimatum

China

U.S.-China Relations

The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump paused plans to sanction China's Ministry of State Security over its role in the 2024 major hack on U.S. infrastructure called Salt Typhoon, according to Financial Times sources on Dec. 4.

U.S., China: Trump Pauses Sanctions, Constrains Export Curbs To Support China Deal

Australia

Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles confirmed formal receipt of the United States' review of AUKUS Pillar I and reiterated that Washington remains "100% supportive" of the nuclear-powered submarine program as Australia "works through" the document, the Australian Financial Review reported on Dec. 4.

Australia, U.S.: Canberra Receives Pentagon's AUKUS Review

Israel

Palestinian Territories

Israel-Hamas Conflict

Israeli officials said they had received the remains of a Thai worker killed in the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on southern Israel, leaving just one more body in the Gaza Strip of the 251 taken that day and signalling the end of the first phase of the U.S.-brokered Israel-Hamas ceasefire, The Times of Israel reported on Dec. 4.

Israel, Gaza: Second-to-Last Hostage Handed Over, Trump Insists Second Ceasefire Phase Is Incoming

Iran

Iraq

The Iraqi government has backtracked after the Justice Ministry's official gazette said Houthi and Hezbollah assets would be frozen; the groups will be removed in a revised version of the list, Reuters reported Dec. 4. 

U.S., Iraq: Iraq Amends Asset Freeze as U.S. Opens Arbil Consulate

Assessments

Tracking U.S. Naval Power

This map shows the approximate locations of U.S. Carrier Strike Groups and Amphibious Ready Groups.

U.S. Naval Update Map: Dec. 4, 2025

Europe

Eurasia

Russia's President Vladimir Putin, accompanied by Kremlin economic envoy Kirill Dmitriev and Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov, meets with US special envoy Steve Witkoff and US President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner at the Kremlin in Moscow on Dec. 2, 2025.

Energy

Fundamental disagreements between Ukraine and Russia over territorial concessions and security guarantees suggest that peace negotiations are unlikely to lead to a comprehensive breakthrough.

Despite U.S. Diplomatic Push, Ukraine Peace Still a Long Way Off

United Kingdom

Portugal

Spain

People visit the 1627 Pilgrim Village at "Plimoth Plantation," where role-players portray pilgrims seven years after the arrival of the Mayflower, in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

On Thanksgiving, the United States celebrates the Plymouth Colony. However, few know that New England's colonization was a response to major geopolitical pressures -- particularly England's struggle against the Spanish both on the Continent and in the New World.

Thanksgiving and Puritan Geopolitics in the Americas

Global Trade

While efforts by China and others to de-dollarize their international trade will fragment the international trade financing regime to some extent, they will do little to undermine the dollar's dominance.

The Geopolitics of Trade: De-dollarization and International Trade

U.S. Naval Update Map: Nov. 26, 2025

Smoke rises in the background as a Ukrainian flag flutters in the wind following a mass overnight Russian drone and missile attacks, in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv on Nov. 19, 2025. 

European efforts to adjust core elements of Trump's plan won't shield Ukraine from his latest threat to withdraw support, and Europe's limited leverage and internal constraints mean it is unlikely to sustain Kyiv's defense alone if talks with the White House fail.

What To Make of Europe's Counterproposal to the U.S. Ukraine Peace Plan

Angola

South Africa

Japan

South Korea

Banners bearing portraits of leaders of the G20 on Nov. 20 in Johannesburg. The South African government has focused the G20 summit's agenda on issues key to African countries.

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 High-Stakes British Budget, South Africa Hosts the G20

Snapshots

Ukrainian artillerymen operate a U.S.-made M-114 howitzer near Pokrovsk, Ukraine, on Oct. 16, 2025.

Trump has given Ukraine until Nov. 27 to accept a plan that would freeze the war on terms favorable to Moscow, or face U.S. aid cuts. But Kyiv is unlikely to accede, instead relying on European support to continue fighting.

Ukraine Likely To Reject Trump's Peace Plan Ultimatum, Prolonging the War

Syria

Syria's interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa delivers a speech in Damascus on July 3, 2025, during the unveiling of the "New Visual Identity of the Syrian Arab Republic." 

The transitional government's decision will boost reconstruction and counter-terrorism efforts, but it will also risk alienating internal hard-liners and could eventually fuel an Islamic State resurgence if Syria's economic recovery stalls.

The Implications of Syria Joining the U.S.-Led Fight Against the Islamic State

The Pentagon viewed from above.

A strategic shift to prioritize commercially available technology over bespoke solutions aims to deliver capabilities faster, though it faces constraints and introduces risks to quality and cost.

New U.S. Defense Acquisition Reforms Offer Opportunities for Improvements, but Longstanding Constraints Remain

U.S. Naval Update Map: Nov. 20, 2025

Canada

The clock tower outside of Canada's parliament building is seen in Ottawa, Ontario.

Canada's push to revive its economy and diversify its trade and security ties beyond the U.S. will likely see slow progress and could prompt U.S. retaliation, while the associated deficit spending will risk long-term fiscal strain.

The High Stakes of Canada's Attempt To Pivot Away From the U.S.

The United States encompasses territory spanning from the Arctic Circle and Central Pacific to the Gulf of Mexico and the North Atlantic.    The Greater Mississippi Basin is the United States' core and serves as the underpinning of its role as a global superpower.    The basin hosts an extensive network of navigable rivers that overlay the world's largest contiguous piece of arable land. This naturally interconnected river system facilitated integration among settlers and allowed for cheap transport of goods, providing the United States with the ability to feed itself efficiently and rapidly build up industry and capital to expand west. The Midwestern core gave early America strategic depth, while an expanding U.S. coastline, naturally indented with deep harbors, provided its opening to the world.    After reaching the Pacific coast in the mid-19th century, the United States found itself insulated by two oceans. On the continent itself, geography again has worked in the country's favor: lakes to the north and deserts to the south insulate the United States' population centers, with both Canada and Mexico facing too many natural constraints of their own to seriously rival it.    This unparalleled level of wealth and protection gives the United States options that few to no countries can claim. For one, the United States has used its wealth and security to build up the world's largest navy. Control of the world's major sea-lanes gives the United States the power to facilitate or deny trade to allies or rivals of the day. The onus therefore is on the United States to carefully manage its engagements abroad and build up strategic allies to protect its overseas interests and preserve its strength at home. 

SITUATION REPORTS

Honduras: Presidential Candidate Alleges Manipulation of Election Results Amid High Political Tensions

Congo, Rwanda: Tshisekedi Signs Peace Deal With Kagame, Strategic Partnership With U.S.

U.S.: National Security Strategy Lays Out Trump Administration's Priorities

Russia, U.S.: Peace Talks Stall as Putin Issues Donbas Ultimatum

U.S., China: Trump Pauses Sanctions, Constrains Export Curbs To Support China Deal

Australia, U.S.: Canberra Receives Pentagon's AUKUS Review

Israel, Gaza: Second-to-Last Hostage Handed Over, Trump Insists Second Ceasefire Phase Is Incoming

U.S., Iraq: Iraq Amends Asset Freeze as U.S. Opens Arbil Consulate

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