Nigeria

United States

Military & Security

Politics

The United States has deployed approximately 100 of the planned 200 troops to Nigeria's northeastern Bauchi state at the reported request of the Nigerian government, Al Jazeera reported on Feb. 16.

Nigeria: Around 100 U.S. Troops Arrive in Northeastern State

Cuba

Economics

Energy

U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters that Secretary of State Marco Rubio is discussing a potential "agreement" with the Cuban government, also calling Cuba "a failed nation," DW reported on Feb. 16.

U.S., Cuba: Trump Administration Engaged in Talks With Cuban Government

Ukraine

Russia

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Russian, Ukrainian and U.S. negotiators convened in Geneva, Switzerland, for two days of U.S.-mediated talks, Reuters reported on Feb. 17.

Russia, Ukraine, U.S.: Geneva Talks Open With Territorial Divide Intact

Australia

China

United Kingdom

The Australian government announced it will provide $2.8 billion to advance construction of a nuclear submarine shipyard in Osborne in the state of South Australia, describing it as an initial installment toward a project projected to cost approximately $21 billion over the coming decades, Reuters reported on Feb. 17.

Australia: Canberra Commits $2.8B to AUKUS Shipyard

Iran

Israel

Oman

Switzerland

U.S.-Iran Relations

The United States and Iran held the second round of Omani-mediated indirect nuclear talks in Geneva, Switzerland, focused on limitations on Iran's nuclear program and verification involving international nuclear inspectors, Reuters reported on Feb. 17.

U.S., Iran: U.S. and Iran Hold Second Round of Indirect Nuclear Talks in Geneva

Canada

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney unveiled a new national defense industrial strategy designed to increase spending on equipment produced by domestic companies and broadly pivot away from the United States, in favor of trusted suppliers in Europe and Asia, for kit that Canadian companies cannot produce effectively, CBC News reported on Feb. 17.

Canada: Carney Unveils New Defense Industrial Strategy

Environment, Science & Technology

Science & Technology

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is "close" to cutting ties with and designating artificial intelligence startup Anthropic a "supply chain risk" amid negotiations on terms of use for the U.S. military to use Anthropic's Claude AI models, Axios reported on Feb. 17.

U.S.: Anthropic's Rupture With the Pentagon Would Ripple Across U.S. Business Community

Taiwan

The United States and Taiwan signed the Agreement on Reciprocal Trade in Washington on Feb. 12, solidifying U.S. tariffs on Taiwanese goods at 15% and offering most favored nation-level tariffs for 2,072 Taiwanese goods, the Taipei Times reported the next day. 

Taiwan, U.S.: Trade Deal Signed, Must Pass Taipei's Skeptical Legislature

Assessments

Lebanon

Palestinian Territories

Yemen

Europe

U.S. Vice President JD Vance's shadow is seen as he speaks during a press conference following a military briefing at the civilian military coordination center on Oct. 21, 2025, in Kiryat Gat, Israel. 

Negotiations over a new Israel-U.S. security agreement signal a pivot in the bilateral relationship as Israel increasingly focuses on strengthening its domestic defense industry.

How Israel's Defense Sector Will Evolve Amid the Government's Push for Self-Reliance

Indonesia

Vietnam

Slovakia

Hungary

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.

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

The U.S. and the EU flags are seen side by side on Nov. 21, 2025, in Brussels, Belgium. 

By replacing Russian gas with U.S. LNG, the EU risks becoming reliant on another systemically central external supplier at a time of growing geopolitical instability and transatlantic tension.

The Strategic Risks of Europe's Pivot to U.S. LNG

Mexico

American Airlines planes sit on the tarmac at Jose Marti International Airport in Havana on Feb. 9, 2026. 

Facing imminent economic collapse and the loss of key allies, the Cuban government will likely yield to U.S. demands for market liberalization to avoid a total breakdown of state authority while attempting to preserve political control.

Economic Concessions to U.S. Offer Path for Regime Survival in Cuba

Japan

Thailand

Bangladesh

Campaign posters Feb. 6 of candidates running in the upcoming Japanese House of Representatives election, in Inagi, Tokyo prefecture.

The Weekly Rundown: Japan Holds Snap Elections, U.S. Weighs Options After Iran Talks

Snapshots

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.

U.S.-China Relations

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

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

U.S. Naval Update Map: Feb. 5, 2026

A freight train on Aug. 26, 2025, in Ajmer India.

A U.S.-India trade deal will bring some relief to Indian exporters, but ambiguities over its scope, implementation timeline and myriad other flashpoints will risk undermining it.

An India-U.S. Trade Deal Will Face Ongoing Hurdles

A man walks past a mural painted on the outer walls of the former U.S. embassy in Tehran, Iran, on Feb. 1, 2026.

Despite recent momentum toward restarting talks, a deal will likely remain elusive due to the U.S.'s maximalist demands and Iran's red lines, sustaining the risk of U.S. (and likely Israeli) military action in the coming weeks. 

Can New U.S.-Iran Talks Avert a Greater Conflict?

Colombia

Iranian newspapers one of them (R) with a headline in Persian reading "Iran is ready for a big response," Jan. 27 in Tehran in Iran. U.S. President Donald Trump is considering a range of military options against Iran.

The Weekly Rundown: The U.S. and Colombian Presidents Meet, The Threat of U.S. Strikes on Iran

Syria

A fighter of the Syrian Democratic Forces stands on a road between the Syrian villages of Safa and Tell Brak on Jan. 24, 2026.

The government's deal with the Kurdish-led SDF will reduce sectarian tensions, accelerate a U.S. withdrawal and open space for a Syria-Israel security pact, though risks from local violence and the Islamic State remain.

What a Kurdish Integration Deal Means for Syria's Stability

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

Nigeria: Around 100 U.S. Troops Arrive in Northeastern State

U.S., Cuba: Trump Administration Engaged in Talks With Cuban Government

Russia, Ukraine, U.S.: Geneva Talks Open With Territorial Divide Intact

Australia: Canberra Commits $2.8B to AUKUS Shipyard

U.S., Iran: U.S. and Iran Hold Second Round of Indirect Nuclear Talks in Geneva

Canada: Carney Unveils New Defense Industrial Strategy

U.S.: Anthropic's Rupture With the Pentagon Would Ripple Across U.S. Business Community

Taiwan, U.S.: Trade Deal Signed, Must Pass Taipei's Skeptical Legislature

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