United States

Europe

Russia

Economics

Energy

The United States and the European Union imposed sweeping new sanctions on Russia's energy sector, targeting its two largest oil companies, Rosneft and Lukoil, and banning Russian liquefied natural gas imports to Europe by 2027, Reuters reported on Oct. 23. 

U.S., EU, Russia: New Energy Sanctions Tighten Pressure on Moscow but Highlight the Limits of Economic Warfare

The United States announced new sanctions on Rosneft and Lukoil, Russia's two largest oil companies, and several of their subsidiaries as part of efforts to pressure Moscow to end its war in Ukraine, Bloomberg reported on Oct. 22.

U.S., Russia: U.S. Sanctions Rosneft and Lukoil, Increasing Pressure on Russia's Energy Revenues

Qatar

Politics

The United States and Qatar urged the European Union to withdraw or substantially amend its planned Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), arguing it would otherwise complicate liquefied natural gas exports from both countries to the bloc, the Financial Times reported on Oct. 22, citing a joint letter.

EU: U.S. and Qatar Urge Brussels To Amend or Scrap CSDDD, Warning of Risks to LNG Imports

Brazil

Environment, Science & Technology

Brazil's environment agency approved a license allowing state-run oil company Petrobras to carry out exploratory drilling at the Equatorial Margin, 500 kilometers (311 miles) from the mouth of the Amazon River, g1 reported on Oct. 20.

Brazil: Government Greenlights Petrobras' Exploratory Drilling in Equatorial Margin

Ukraine

Kazakhstan

Military & Security

Kazakhstan's Ministry of Energy said oil and gas production at the Karachaganak oil and gas field was cut by 25%-30% after Ukraine's Oct. 19 drone strike on Russia's Orenburg gas processing plant halted gas intake from the site, Reuters reported on Oct. 20.

Kazakhstan, Russia: Orenburg Strike Forces Output Cuts at Karachaganak, Raising Domestic Stability Risks

EU energy ministers endorsed a European Commission proposal to phase out Russian gas imports across the bloc, despite opposition from Hungary and Slovakia, a press release by the European Council showed on Oct. 20.

EU, Russia: EU Member States Endorse Russian Gas Phaseout Plan

Mongolia

Mongolia's State Great Khural, its unicameral parliament, voted to dismiss Prime Minister Gombojav Zandanshatar, who announced he would step down once the president appoints his successor, which is set to happen within 30 days, Le Monde reported on Oct. 17. 

Mongolia: Parliament Votes Out Another Premier, This Time Over Coal Policy

Namibia

South Africa

South Africa's Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment informed an oil major that appeals lodged against its Environmental Authorisation, a necessary approval to conduct oil exploration works, would be temporarily "held in abeyance," News24 reported on Oct. 17.

South Africa: Government Effectively Freezes Issuance of New Oil Permits Pending Supreme Court Ruling 

The world is connected, but even the broadest topics deserve an individual look. Below are our latest and most relevant energy analyses.

Below are our latest and most relevant energy analyses.

Sub-Saharan Africa

Americas

Asia-Pacific

Eurasia

Middle East and North Africa

South Asia

The Libyan Civil War

The Fight Against the Islamic State

The Politics of Pipelines

_Energy

Nigeria: Obstacles to Prosperity

The Battle for Mosul

A Crude Recovery

Broken Contracts in the Middle East

Russia's Internal Struggle

East African Integration

Assessments

The Geopolitics of Trade

Global Trade

The recalibration of the European Union's sustainability framework will ease near-term compliance burdens and costs for businesses but preserve long-term uncertainty.

The Geopolitics of Trade: EU Steps Back From Ambitious Environmental Policies

Tanzania

Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan of the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party reacts on stage during a rally in Dar es Salaam on Aug. 28, 2025, to officially launch the CCM's campaign ahead of the Tanzanian general election. 

Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan is highly likely to be reelected in the Oct. 29 ballot, which is unlikely to turn violent but could portend wider governance challenges in the medium term.

Previewing Tanzania's General Elections

Global Elections

Russian flag on a cracked wall, illustrating an economic decline with a downward arrow. 

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Despite high consumer confidence, underlying economic indicators show a significant contraction in non-defense industrial production, slowing consumption and falling investment, signaling that the Kremlin's war economy is steadily deteriorating.

Russia's War Economy Is Faltering

Iran

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. 

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?

U.S.-Iran Relations

Egypt

Israel

Palestinian Territories

Egyptian army vehicles are deployed along the border with the Gaza Strip on July 4, 2024, in the north Sinai Peninsula. 

Israel-Hamas Conflict

While an all-out war remains improbable, Egypt's military buildup in the Sinai Peninsula will increase the risk of sporadic border incidents and could prompt Israel to suspend a major energy deal with Cairo.

Is an Israel-Egypt Conflict on the Horizon?

Venezuela

The U.S. Navy warship USS Sampson docks at the Amador International Cruise Terminal in Panama City on Aug. 30, 2025. 

While further kinetic operations against Venezuelan drug trafficking groups are probable, the Trump administration's pressure campaign against Caracas is unlikely to escalate into a U.S. invasion or seriously threaten the Maduro regime.

Assessing U.S. Military Activity in the Caribbean and What It Means for Venezuela

Snapshots

India

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

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

A freight train carrying cargo containers rides along a railway track in Ajmer, India, on Aug. 26, 2025. 

While India will remain engaged in U.S. trade talks, a deal that secures relief from Trump's 50% tariff will remain elusive amid New Delhi's reluctance to reduce its agricultural protections and Russian oil purchases. 


U.S. Tariffs Strain India's Exports Amid Stalled Trade Talks

Geopolitical, security and environmental risks threaten to disrupt trade through crucial waterways, including the Bab el-Mandeb strait, the Suez Canal, the Danish and Turkish straits, and the Panama Canal.

The Geopolitics of Trade: Threats to Maritime Chokepoints Endanger Global Trade, Part 2

Diverse security risks threaten maritime chokepoints around the world, presenting unique challenges to international trade.

The Geopolitics of Trade: Threats to Maritime Chokepoints Endanger Global Trade, Part 1

Norway

The building housing Norway's parliament is seen on May 17, 2025, in Oslo.

The Sept. 8 vote could result in another left-wing coalition focused on welfare and climate, a right-wing coalition focused on tax cuts and oil production, or perhaps even an unprecedented grand coalition between the country's two largest parties.

Norway's Legislative Elections: Potential Outcomes and Their Implications

Guyana

A picture of the National Assembly building in Georgetown, Guyana, taken on Sept. 23, 2022.

No matter who wins Guyana's Sept. 1 election, the next administration will use oil revenue and foreign investment to increase social spending and infrastructure development.

Energy

SITUATION REPORTS

U.S., EU, Russia: New Energy Sanctions Tighten Pressure on Moscow but Highlight the Limits of Economic Warfare

U.S., Russia: U.S. Sanctions Rosneft and Lukoil, Increasing Pressure on Russia's Energy Revenues

EU: U.S. and Qatar Urge Brussels To Amend or Scrap CSDDD, Warning of Risks to LNG Imports

Brazil: Government Greenlights Petrobras' Exploratory Drilling in Equatorial Margin

Kazakhstan, Russia: Orenburg Strike Forces Output Cuts at Karachaganak, Raising Domestic Stability Risks

EU, Russia: EU Member States Endorse Russian Gas Phaseout Plan

Mongolia: Parliament Votes Out Another Premier, This Time Over Coal Policy

South Africa: Government Effectively Freezes Issuance of New Oil Permits Pending Supreme Court Ruling

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