<p>Eurasia is the world&rsquo;s most expansive region. It connects the East to the West, forming a land bridge that borders Europe, the Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and South Asia. Forming the borders of this massive tract of land are the Northern European Plain, the Carpathian Mountains, the Southern Caucasus Mountains, the Tien Shan Mountains and Siberia. At the heart of Eurasia is Russia, a country that throughout history has tried, to varying degrees of success, to extend its influence to Eurasia&rsquo;s farthest reaches &mdash; a strategy meant to insulate it from outside powers. But this strategy necessarily creates conflict throughout Russia&rsquo;s borderlands, putting Eurasia a near constant state of instability.</p>

Eurasia connects the East to the West, forming a land bridge that borders Europe, the Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and South Asia. 

Eurasia

Armenia

Tajikistan

Turkmenistan

Ukraine

Uzbekistan

Azerbaijan

Georgia

Belarus

Kazakhstan

Kyrgyzstan

Russia

Moldova

The Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict

Cyber

The Ukraine Conflict

The Politics of Pipelines

The New Silk Road

Commodities: A Cautionary Tale

A Crude Recovery

The Second Space Race

Echoes of the Cold War

Russia's Internal Struggle

The Fight for Russia’s Borderlands

Moscow Looks to the East

Instability in Central Asia

Assessments

Saudi Arabia

United Arab Emirates

Entrance signage is seen at OPEC's headquarters in Vienna, Austria, on July 23, 2024.

Energy

Riyadh and its Gulf partners will likely prioritize OPEC+ unity and cooperation with Moscow on oil policy over boosting production to offset Russian supply losses from U.S. sanctions, even if it risks irking Washington.

Why Saudi Arabia Won't Backfill Russia's Sanctioned Oil Exports

United States

Venezuela

Spain

Tanks on Sept. 23 in Caracas, Venezuela. The Trump administration has reportedly decided to attack military sites in Venezuela in strikes that could occur at any moment.

Economics

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: Potential U.S. Strikes in Venezuela, U.S. Outreach in Central Asia

A flag displaying the logo for Russia's Lukoil oil giant flies near a Russian flag in Moscow on Oct. 23, 2025.

The sanctions on Rosneft and Lukoil aim to financially coerce Russia into negotiating a ceasefire in Ukraine, but patchy enforcement and continued Asian demand for Russian crude will limit the impact.

New U.S. Sanctions Strike at the Heart of Russia's War Economy

Columns

On Geopolitics

China

Germany

Slovakia

Hungary

European Council President Antonio Costa and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrive for a meeting of the European Council on Oct. 23. The EU pursuit of geopolitical independence is being severely tested by Russia's direct security aggression, China's control over critical raw materials and competing economic pressures from the United States.

The EU pursuit of geopolitical independence is being severely tested by Russia's direct security aggression, China's control over critical raw materials and competing economic pressures from the United States.

Europe's Dual Challenge From China and Russia

Iran

Syria

Turkey

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Syria's interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, hold a meeting at the Grand Kremlin Palace in Moscow on Oct.15, 2025. 

Syria's outreach to Russia could lead to diversified economic and security ties, help de-escalate tensions between Russia and Turkey, and eventually facilitate small steps toward Syria's rapprochement with Iran.

Syria-Russia Rapprochement Reinforces Damascus's Non-Confrontationalism

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (L) attends a lunch meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump (R) at the White House on Oct. 17, 2025, in Washington, D.C. 

Recent statements by U.S. President Donald Trump suggest a significant U.S. pivot toward a negotiated settlement in Ukraine that prioritizes freezing the conflict and may involve territorial concessions favorable to Moscow.

Trump Signals Shift Toward Russian Position on Ukraine Ahead of Putin Meeting

Israel

Palestinian Territories

Australia

U.S. President Donald Trump (R) and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Aug. 15, 2025, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska. Delegations from the United States and Russia, including U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Affairs Minister Sergey Lavrov, respectively, will meet this week to resume conversations about their countries' bilateral relationship and the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Israel-Hamas Conflict

The Weekly Rundown: U.S. and Russian Delegations Meet, a Still-Fragile Hamas-Israel Ceasefire 

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

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

Japan

France

The assembly hall of the Syrian parliament Oct. 1 in Damascus. An Oct. 5 indirect election for parliament will mark the first time Syrians have had an electoral say in their government since the 1960s.

The Weekly Rundown: Japan's Election, Syria's Political Transition

Snapshots

Europe

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

Swiss commodity trader Gunvor withdrew its bid to acquire Russian oil giant Lukoil's international assets, including refineries, oilfields and retail networks in Europe, Iraq and Central Asia, after the U.S. Treasury Department publicly denounced the deal, calling Gunvor a Kremlin "puppet," and signaled it would not grant a sanctions waiver, Bloomberg reported Nov. 6.

Russia: Swiss Firm Gunvor Withdraws Bid To Buy Lukoil Assets After U.S. Calls It a Kremlin 'Puppet'

During an Oval Office meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on Nov. 6 confirmed his country's decision to join the Abraham Accords in a trilateral call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

U.S., Israel: Kazakhstan Agrees To Join Abraham Accords

Belgium

Belgium's government reached an agreement in principle over a package of measures to protect the country from the increasing number of drone incursions into its territory, Belga News Agency reported on Nov. 7.

Belgium: Disruptive Drone Incursions Prompt Consideration of New Security Measures

Armenia received its first freight cargo shipment from Russia via Azerbaijan since 1991, transiting through Georgia and arriving with 1,050 tons of wheat at Dalarik station, Bloomberg reported on Nov. 6.

Armenia, Azerbaijan: First Direct Rail Freight Since Soviet Era Marks New Regional Reality

Russian President Vladimir Putin instructed Russia’s foreign ministry, defense ministry and intelligence services to prepare proposals on whether to begin preparing for potential nuclear weapons testing, following the United States' plans to resume its own tests, the Kremlin announced on Nov. 5. 

Russia, U.S.: Putin Orders Review of Nuclear Test Readiness

The European Union approved a new 1.35 billion euro ($1.42 billion) aid payment to Ukraine as part of its ongoing support package, Politico reported on Nov. 4.

Ukraine, EU: Bloc Approves New Aid but Signals Tougher Line on Ukraine's Reform and Accession Track

KazMunayGas chief Askhat Khassenov met TotalEnergies CEO Patrick Pouyanne in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, to discuss the next phase of the North Caspian (Kashagan) project and review ongoing cooperation on the 1 gigawatt Mirny wind project, KazMunayGas' press service announced on Nov. 3.

Kazakhstan: Government Deepens Western Energy Ties Ahead of Tokayev's Washington Visit

A Russian foreign ministry source said Moscow "has not deviated" from the understandings reached by Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump at their Aug. 15 Alaska meeting, rejecting Western reports that a "maximalist" Russian memo on Ukraine caused Washington to cancel the planned Budapest summit, Kommersant reported on Nov. 2.

Russia, U.S.: Moscow Reframes Alaska 'Understandings' as Diplomatic Path With U.S. Narrows

Eurasia

SITUATION REPORTS

Russia: Swiss Firm Gunvor Withdraws Bid To Buy Lukoil Assets After U.S. Calls It a Kremlin 'Puppet'

U.S., Israel: Kazakhstan Agrees To Join Abraham Accords

Belgium: Disruptive Drone Incursions Prompt Consideration of New Security Measures

Armenia, Azerbaijan: First Direct Rail Freight Since Soviet Era Marks New Regional Reality

Russia, U.S.: Putin Orders Review of Nuclear Test Readiness

Ukraine, EU: Bloc Approves New Aid but Signals Tougher Line on Ukraine's Reform and Accession Track

Kazakhstan: Government Deepens Western Energy Ties Ahead of Tokayev's Washington Visit

Russia, U.S.: Moscow Reframes Alaska 'Understandings' as Diplomatic Path With U.S. Narrows

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