Ukraine

Russia

Military & Security

Politics

At the Valdai Discussion Club, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia has "no aggressive intentions" toward NATO, dismissing Western concerns as "hysteria" and telling Europeans to "calm down, sleep tight, and deal with your own issues," The New York Times reported on Oct. 2.

Russia: Putin Denies NATO Threat While Drones Test Europe's Defenses

United States

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

The United States agreed to give Ukraine targeting data to help guide long-range missile strikes against Russian energy sites, The Wall Street Journal reported Oct. 1.

Ukraine: U.S. Expands Intelligence Support for Strikes Inside Russia

Europe

France

French authorities opened an investigation into the Benin-flagged oil tanker Boracay, blacklisted by the European Union as part of Russia's "shadow fleet," over suspected links to recent drone incursions into Danish airspace that forced temporary airport closures, AFP reported on Oct. 1.

France, Russia: Paris Investigates Possible Russian 'Shadow Fleet' Involvement in Denmark Drone Incursions

Economics

EU leaders gathered in Copenhagen, Denmark, to discuss the possible use of frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine, plans to build a "drone wall" on NATO's eastern flank, proposals to accelerate Ukraine's EU membership process and next steps to impose more sanctions on Russia, Politico reported on Oct. 1.

EU, Ukraine: EU Leaders Discuss Ukraine's Membership, Drone Wall, Sanctions

Energy

The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Russian-occupied southern Ukraine has been without external electricity since Sept. 23, when its last remaining power line was severed during fighting, Reuters reported on Oct. 1.

Ukraine, Russia: Europe's Largest Nuclear Plant Teeters as Power Cut Extends Beyond a Week

TotalEnergies CEO Patrick Pouyanne said the company would redirect Russian liquefied natural gas from the Yamal facility to markets such as Turkey or India if the European Union bans imports, Bloomberg reported on Sept. 29.

Russia: TotalEnergies Signals Russian LNG Redirection Amid Potential EU Ban

Moldova

Moldova's ruling Party of Action and Solidarity, or PAS, secured an outright majority in the parliamentary election, outperforming tight polls that had predicted a neck-and-neck race with the Russia-oriented Patriotic Electoral Bloc, Reuters reported on Sept. 28.

Moldova: Pro-EU Party Secures Surprise Majority

Equatorial Guinea

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Iran

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Libya

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United Arab Emirates

OPEC+ will likely decide to increase its oil production in November by at least 137,000 barrels per day when the group meets on Oct. 5, Bloomberg reported on Sept. 28.

Global: OPEC+ Likely To Approve Another Production Hike at Next Meeting

Snapshots

Moldovan President Maia Sandu arrives to hold a press conference in Chisinau on Sept. 29, 2025, after her pro-EU party secured a victory in parliamentary elections. 

Despite a clear win for the pro-EU Action and Solidarity in the Sept. 28 parliamentary election, Moldova's path to EU accession remains fraught with obstacles, including the unresolved Transdniestria conflict, entrenched corruption and the need for politically sensitive judicial reforms.

Even With PAS Victory, Moldova's Road to EU Membership Remains Long

Assessments

China

The U.N. Security Council holds a meeting on Iran at the U.N. headquarters in New York City, New York, on Sept. 19, 2025. 

U.S.-Iran Relations

The increased isolation will make Iran more reliant on China and Russia, while the added economic strain could fuel domestic protests and empower Iranian hard-liners calling for more aggressive action against the West.

U.N. Sanctions Snapback: What's Next for Iran?

A Polish-made FlyEye V3.0 drone is displayed during the Iron Defender-25 media day on Sept. 18, 2025, in Nowa Deba, Poland. 

European efforts to fast-track a sophisticated anti-drone system will unlock major contracts for defense firms, but the vast scale of the project will leave Europe exposed to Russian provocations for years.

EU 'Drone Wall' Plans Will Take Years To Materialize, Leaving Continent Vulnerable in the Meantime

Guyana

Israel

Palestinian Territories

Australia

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.

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

Chile

Qatar

United Kingdom

Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani addresses a press conference following Israeli strikes in Doha on Sept. 9, 2025. 

U.S.-China Relations

The Weekly Rundown: Qatar Hosts an Arab-Islamic Summit, EU Announces New Sanctions on Russia

Kazakhstan

In this pool photograph distributed by the Russian state agency Sputnik, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev waits to greet foreign leaders during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization member states leaders' summit in Astana on July 4, 2024.

Despite President Tokayev's reform proposals, Kazakhstan's succession process will remain vulnerable to destabilizing forces, including elite rivalries and foreign influence.

How Kazakhstan's Proposed Reforms Will Impact the Question of Succession

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

India

Participants of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit 2025 pose for photos in Tianjin, China, on Sept. 1, 2025.

Global Trade

U.S. trade uncertainty will help China deepen trade ties with its Central Asian neighbors and infrastructure ties with Russia, but its relations with India will remain inhibited by border disputes and differing defense priorities.

China Positions Itself as Growth Catalyst for Central Asia at SCO Summit

Media

Lithuania

Germany

Finland

Latvia

Denmark

Estonia

Sweden

Podcasts

Why is the Baltic such a critical and complex region?

Essential Geopolitics: Remilitarization in the Baltic

Ecuador

Mexico

North Korea

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

Central African Republic

Rwanda

Members of the Unity for Peace in the Central African Republic (UPC) rebel group gather at the DDR (disarmament, demobilization and reintegration) site in Maloum, the Central African Republic, on July 24. 2025.

The dissolution of key rebel groups and the reintegration of ex-fighters could stabilize the country after years of conflict, but the process will remain fragile amid funding challenges and potential attacks from non-signatories.

Central African Republic's New Peace Deal Holds Promise, but Challenges Persist

Eurasia

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. 

Despite Flurry of U.S. Diplomacy, a Ukraine Peace Deal Will Remain Elusive

<p>Despite being the largest country in the world by area, the Russian Federation occupies territory that is indefensible and unforgiving. The core of Russia, running from the Volga grain belts up through Moscow proper to the Baltic Sea, lacks any natural features to fortify it from attack. This is why the country has traditionally anchored its territory to major geographic barriers far from its core in an attempt to keep foreign powers distant. As a result, Russia has inevitably had to reach east across the frozen tundra of Siberia to the Pacific Ocean, southeast to the Tien Shen mountains of Central Asia, south to the Caucasus Mountains bordering Iran and Turkey, and finally west to the Carpathian Mountains in Central Europe. But, there is one major hole in this geographic expanse: The Northern European plane. The Northern European plane is a gap between the Carpathian Mountains and the Baltic sea which, at its narrowest, is 480 kilometers (300 miles) across. This narrow point, referred to as the Polish funnel, lies just West of Warsaw and reaches down Krakow in the south. Russia has faced three major attackers along this axis; Napoleon, Wilhelm II, and Hitler. Most recently, the expansion of NATO and the European Union into Central and Eastern Europe has raised Russian hackles. Moscow would much prefer to control the lands between Russia and the Polish funnel &mdash; pushing as far west as possible &mdash; knowing full well that once an attacker has passed that narrow chokepoint, it is an open march to Russia&#39;s heartland. For this reason, Moscow seeks to occupy or influence its borderlands, or at the very least, maintain their neutrality. Looking beyond its indefensible borders and largely hollow interior, Russia boasts a diverse population of 144,463,450 people and a powerful military. These armed forces, backed by an autocratic political system, help protect the country&#39;s unwieldy land mass. Russia&#39;s economy is inherently fragile and highly dependent on commodity exports ranging from grain to energy. The country is traditionally at its most powerful when a strong, heavy-handed leader is in charge, such as current Russian President Vladimir Putin. Despite this, though, the Kremlin must continually deal with internal political divisions, rising ethnic tensions and regional dissidence.</p>

SITUATION REPORTS

Russia: Putin Denies NATO Threat While Drones Test Europe's Defenses

Ukraine: U.S. Expands Intelligence Support for Strikes Inside Russia

France, Russia: Paris Investigates Possible Russian 'Shadow Fleet' Involvement in Denmark Drone Incursions

EU, Ukraine: EU Leaders Discuss Ukraine's Membership, Drone Wall, Sanctions

Ukraine, Russia: Europe's Largest Nuclear Plant Teeters as Power Cut Extends Beyond a Week

Russia: TotalEnergies Signals Russian LNG Redirection Amid Potential EU Ban

Moldova: Pro-EU Party Secures Surprise Majority

Global: OPEC+ Likely To Approve Another Production Hike at Next Meeting

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