United States

Russia

Economics

Energy

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'

Belgium

Military & Security

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

Politics

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

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

Equatorial Guinea

Gabon

Nigeria

Republic of the Congo

Venezuela

Algeria

Iran

Iraq

Kuwait

Libya

Saudi Arabia

United Arab Emirates

At their Nov. 2 meeting, the eight OPEC+ countries implementing voluntary production cuts agreed to boost production by 137,000 barrels per day in December -- the third consecutive small production hike of that level -- but plan to pause production hikes from January-March 2026, Reuters reported. 

OPEC+: Bloc To Halt Production Hikes in Early 2026 Amid Oil Glut, Russian Sanctions Concerns

Ukraine

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha confirmed that Russian forces have fired the Novator 9M729 ground-launched cruise missile, once banned under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, 23 times since August, Reuters reported on Oct. 31.

Russia, Ukraine: Russia Uses Novator Cruise Missile Against Ukraine, Marking Dangerous Escalation

China

In an Oct. 29 post on Truth Social, U.S. President Donald Trump said he had directed the Pentagon to "start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis" with Russia and China.

U.S.: Trump Calls for Resumption of Nuclear Weapons Testing

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow successfully tested the Poseidon nuclear-powered undersea torpedo, calling it a "huge success," Reuters reported on Oct. 29.

Russia: Putin Touts Nuclear-Powered Torpedo 'Test' as U.S.-Russia Diplomacy Falters

Assessments

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

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

Spain

Uzbekistan

Tajikistan

Turkmenistan

Kazakhstan

Kyrgyzstan

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.

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

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

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

Azerbaijan

Georgia

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

Moldova

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

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

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

Belgium: Disruptive Drone Incursions Prompt Consideration of New Security Measures

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

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

OPEC+: Bloc To Halt Production Hikes in Early 2026 Amid Oil Glut, Russian Sanctions Concerns

Russia, Ukraine: Russia Uses Novator Cruise Missile Against Ukraine, Marking Dangerous Escalation

U.S.: Trump Calls for Resumption of Nuclear Weapons Testing

Russia: Putin Touts Nuclear-Powered Torpedo 'Test' as U.S.-Russia Diplomacy Falters

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