<p>To the west of Eurasia lays Europe, a region predisposed to division. It is surrounded on nearly all sides by islands and peninsulas that make it difficult for Europe to cohere. The northern half of the continent, moreover, sits on a plain whose short, meandering rivers tend to empower countries without forcing them to work with others. The southern half is situated on more mountainous terrain that has historically impeded the creation of strong, unified economies. As a result, Europe is a continent riven by pockets of distinct cultures whose differences are all too often irreconcilable.</p>

Europe is a continent riven by pockets of distinct cultures whose differences are all too often irreconcilable.

Europe

Belize

Andorra

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Czech Republic

Denmark

Estonia

Finland

France

Germany

Greece

Holy See

Latvia

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Netherlands

Switzerland

Spain

Montenegro

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Italy

Ireland

Iceland

Hungary

Kosovo

Beyond Quantitative Easing

The Ukraine Conflict

The Politics of Pipelines

EU: Regional Blocs

Divided EU Foreign Policies

Brexit

The Fate of the Eurozone

Banking

Crossing Borders

Globalization

European Disintegration

Echoes of the Cold War

The Fight for Russia’s Borderlands

Assessments

Tanzania

Hong Kong SAR, China

Ukraine

Protesters help an injured demonstrator near burning barricades amid clashes in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on Oct. 29, 2025. 

Environment, Science & Technology

Military & Security

Politics

Russia-Ukraine 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: Unrest in Tanzania, an EU Summit in Ukraine

U.S.-China Relations

United States

Eurasia

Russia

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.

Economics

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

Honduras

China

India

Russian President Vladimir Putin greets Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for their bilateral meeting during the 2025 Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit.

Global Trade

The Weekly Rundown: Putin-Modi Meeting, Honduras General Election

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

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.

The Weekly Rundown: A High-Stakes British Budget, South Africa Hosts the G20

Italian Minister of Economy and Finance Giancarlo Giorgetti and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on March 18 in the Italian Senate in Rome. Smaller fiscal deficits are unlikely to cut government debt in the medium term given Italy's modest economic growth outlook and significant social and defense spending pressures.

Smaller fiscal deficits are unlikely to cut government debt in the medium term given Italy's modest economic growth outlook and significant social and defense spending pressures.

Modest Growth and Spending Pressures Will Limit Italy's Debt Reduction Efforts

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Nov. 12 at 10 Downing Street in central London. Growing internal divisions within the ruling Labour party over fiscal policy and declining popularity are increasing the likelihood of a leadership challenge against Starmer following the November budget or May 2026 local elections.

Growing internal divisions within the ruling Labour party over fiscal policy and declining popularity are increasing the likelihood of a leadership challenge against Prime Minister Keir Starmer following the November budget or May 2026 local elections.

Painful Upcoming Budget Likely To Amplify Starmer's Leadership Woes

A screen is seen during the International military anti drone exercise Baltic Trust 25 (BATT25) at the Selonia (Selija) military training ground near Viesite on Aug. 27, 2025.

The European Union is pushing to develop continent-wide anti-drone capabilities, but financial, political and legal fragmentation will significantly slow progress and leave the bloc's defense vulnerable.

Despite Political Enthusiasm, EU Drone Defenses Face Obstacles to Implementation

South Sudan

Burundi

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Ethiopia

Kenya

Malawi

Mozambique

Rwanda

Uganda

Zambia

The Geopolitics of Trade

Over the next decade, Kenya and Tanzania will compete for the title of East Africa's leading trade gateway, particularly as global demand for Central Africa's critical minerals grows. 

The Geopolitics of Trade: The Race to Unlock East Africa, Part 1 

Kazakhstan

European Council President Antonio Costa met with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in Astana to reinforce political commitment to the Trans-Caspian transport route and critical mineral supply chains, the European Council's press service reported on Dec. 4.

EU, Kazakhstan: EU Bets on New Trade Route Through Kazakhstan To Secure Critical Resources

Germany's Bundestag approved Chancellor Friedrich Merz's disputed pension reform after his ruling coalition secured 318 votes, narrowly above the 316 required for a majority, Reuters reported on Dec. 5.

Germany: Bundestag Narrowly Passes Pension Reform as Ruling Coalition Shows Signs of Strain

French President Emmanuel Macron called for more Chinese investment in Europe and for Beijing to boost domestic consumption to address widening trade imbalances during a meeting in Beijing with President Xi Jinping, warning that a trade war would be the worst way to manage these tensions, Reuters reported Dec. 4.

France, China: Macron Calls on China To Address 'Unsustainable' Trade Imbalances

The Hong Kong police arrested two individuals for calling for an independent investigation into the government's response to the Nov. 26 Wang Fuk Court apartment fire, which killed at least 156 people, The New York Times reported on Dec. 3.

Hong Kong: Dissenters Arrested Over Government Critiques Ahead of Elections

Israel

Israel handed over the Arrow 3 anti-ballistic missile air defense system to Germany, slated to be deployed at Holzdorf Air Base south of Berlin, around two years after the initial deal was inked, Bloomberg reported on Dec. 3.

Germany, Israel: Israel Delivers Arrow 3 Air Defense System to Germany

Negotiators from EU member states, the European Parliament and the European Commission reached a provisional agreement to introduce a legally binding phaseout of Russian gas imports by the end of 2026 for liquefied natural gas and by fall 2027 for pipeline gas, according to a European Council statement on Dec. 2. 

EU, Russia: EU Finalizes Agreement for Accelerated Phaseout of Russian Gas and Oil Imports

Canada

European Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius confirmed in a Dec. 1 post on X that all 19 participating EU member states had submitted national investment plans for the Security Action for Europe (SAFE) loan facility by the Nov. 30 deadline, adding that 15 of the plans included Ukraine.

EU: Defense Joint-Procurement Loan Scheme Progresses, Canada Joins

NATO is reassessing its posture toward Russian hybrid activities like cyberattacks, sabotage incidents and repeated airspace violations, and is weighing more assertive and proactive responses, particularly on cyber, the Financial Times reported Nov. 30, citing the Western security alliance's top military officer, Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone.

Europe, Russia: NATO Weighs More Proactive Action Amid Intensifying Russian Hybrid Activity

Europe

SITUATION REPORTS

EU, Kazakhstan: EU Bets on New Trade Route Through Kazakhstan To Secure Critical Resources

Germany: Bundestag Narrowly Passes Pension Reform as Ruling Coalition Shows Signs of Strain

France, China: Macron Calls on China To Address 'Unsustainable' Trade Imbalances

Hong Kong: Dissenters Arrested Over Government Critiques Ahead of Elections

Germany, Israel: Israel Delivers Arrow 3 Air Defense System to Germany

EU, Russia: EU Finalizes Agreement for Accelerated Phaseout of Russian Gas and Oil Imports

EU: Defense Joint-Procurement Loan Scheme Progresses, Canada Joins

Europe, Russia: NATO Weighs More Proactive Action Amid Intensifying Russian Hybrid Activity

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