Japan

Vietnam

Economics

Energy

Environment, Science & Technology

Military & Security

Politics

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met in Hanoi, Vietnam, to reaffirm the two countries' comprehensive strategic partnership, Nikkei Asia reported on April 28.

Japan, Vietnam: Ishiba Visit Deepens Semiconductor, Clean Energy and Defense Ties

United States

China

Philippines

China and the Philippines both planted flags on Sandy Cay, a group of sandbars in the disputed Spratly Islands of the South China Sea, amid conflicting claims of control, The Washington Post reported on April 28. 

China, Philippines: Countries Exchange Flag-Planting Episodes on Disputed South China Sea Feature

India

Pakistan

On April 26, Pakistani authorities reported that India released water from the Uri Dam in India-administered Kashmir without prior notice, causing water levels in the Jhelum River to rise by 22,000 cubic feet per second and prompting a partial flood warning in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, ARY News reported on April 27.

Pakistan, India: India Releases Floodwater, Pakistan Calls for Neutral Probe Into Kashmir Attack

Mali

Senegal

Al Qaeda's Sahel affiliate, Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, or JNIM, has significantly expanded its operations in Mali's western Kayes region, intensifying attacks near the eastern Senegalese border and engaging in various illicit activities within eastern Senegal, Radio France Internationale reported on April 28, citing a report by the Dakar-based think tank Timbuktu Institute. 

Senegal: Al Qaeda Affiliate Continues Push To Infiltrate Eastern Senegal

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Rwanda

The Rwandan-backed M23 rebel group seized the town of Kaziba in the Democratic Republic of the Congo's South Kivu province following clashes with the Congolese military and pro-government Wazalendo militias despite the group's commitment to advance a ceasefire, Radio Okapi reported on April 28. 

Congo: Fighting Continues Despite U.S.-Brokered 'Declaration of Principles' With Rwanda

Europe

Germany

Germany formally requested the activation of the European Union's "national escape clause" to exempt defense spending from deficit calculations and avoid triggering excessive deficit procedures under the bloc’s fiscal rules, Reuters reported on April 28, citing a letter from outgoing Finance Minister Jorg Kukies to the European Commission.

Germany, EU: Berlin Invokes Escape Clause in EU Fiscal Rules To Increase Defense Spending

Syria

A contingent of around 400 Syrian Kurds representing the country's main Kurdish groups met in Qamishli, Syria, and called for the establishment of a decentralized, democratic Syrian state with a new constitution that "guarantee[s] the national rights of the Kurdish people and abide[s] by international laws for human rights and women's rights," AP reported on April 27.

Syria: Kurds Call for Decentralized State, Damascus Rejects It

Ukraine

Russia

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

The Kremlin announced on April 28 that it will implement a temporary ceasefire in Ukraine from May 8 to May 10 to observe the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II.

Russia, Ukraine: Kremlin Announces Three-Day Ceasefire in May Amid Pressure From White House

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

Below are our latest and most relevant military analyses. 

Sub-Saharan Africa

Americas

Asia-Pacific

Eurasia

Middle East and North Africa

South Asia

The Syrian Civil War

The Yemen Civil War

The Libyan Civil War

The Fight Against the Islamic State

The Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict

The India-Pakistan Rivalry

Cyber

The Ukraine Conflict

Tracking U.S. Naval Power

The Battle for Mosul

Rebalancing Power in the Middle East

Coping With a Nuclear North Korea

The Jihadist Wars

Echoes of the Cold War

Instability in Central Asia

South Asian Militancy

Pakistan: A Military With a Country

Assessments

Iran

Saudi Arabia

A woman walks by anti-U.S. murals on the walls of the former U.S. embassy in downtown Tehran, Iran, on April 11, 2025. 

The U.S. will likely have to allow some Iranian uranium enrichment to ink a nuclear deal, likely resulting in Saudi Arabia seeking similar provisions for its own civilian nuclear program.

With Iran and Saudi Arabia, the U.S. Faces a Uranium Enrichment Dilemma

U.S.-Iran Relations

Canada

Italy

Indian soldiers stand guard atop their vehicle in Srinagar, India, on April 23, 2025, following a deadly militant attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir.

A look at what the coming week will bring -- and a list of recommended RANE articles from the week that was.

The Weekly Rundown: Escalating Pakistan-India Tensions, Canadian Elections and Pope Francis' Funeral

An Indian paramilitary serviceman keeps watch in Pahalgam, south of Srinagar, on April 23, 2025, following a deadly attack in Indian-administered Kashmir. 

India and Pakistan's exchange of tit-for-tat diplomatic and economic moves is raising the risk of a military escalation, while also fueling domestic unrest due to rising nationalist sentiment in both countries.

India-Pakistan Tensions Surge Following Deadly Kashmir Attack

United Arab Emirates

Yemen

Yemeni soldiers stand guard during a protest against the United States on April 18, 2025 in Sanaa, Yemen. 

As intensified U.S. airstrikes fail to halt Houthi attacks on Israel and Red Sea shipping, Washington is increasingly likely to seek on-the-ground Yemeni partners to pressure the militant movement.


In Yemen, the U.S.'s Anti-Houthi Campaign Raises the Specter of a Government Ground Offensive

Snapshots

France

United Kingdom

U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff (2 L) and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio (C) attend a meeting with European and Ukrainian officials on April 17 at the Elysee presidential palace in Paris.

Ukraine will be forced to choose between compromising on its supposed red lines to de-escalate its war with Russia, or risk losing U.S. support and its battlefield position. 

Growing U.S. Pressure for a Peace Deal Puts Ukraine in a Difficult Position

South Korea

The Geopolitics of Trade

Global Trade

U.S. reciprocal tariffs will have major economic and political impacts on Japan and South Korea, particularly as both East Asian countries prepare for summer elections.

The Geopolitics of Trade: The Impact of U.S. Tariffs on South Korea and Japan

Columns

On Geopolitics

Israel

Lebanon

A Lebanese flag painted on a damaged building in the village of Meiss El-Jabal in southern Lebanon is seen from a position on the Israeli side of the border on Jan. 23, 2025, in northern Israel. 

Hezbollah's military losses and the formation of Lebanon's new government have opened the door to a new chapter in Lebanese history, although external pressure will complicate the country's next steps.

Hezbollah's Future in Lebanon

Workers at a quarry Feb. 26, 2025 in the Zhytomyr region of Ukraine.

The Weekly Rundown: Von der Leyen Meets Starmer, a U.S.-Ukraine Minerals Deal

Iraq

Mock drones and missiles are displayed at an exhibition on Nov. 13, 2024, in Sanaa, Yemen. 

Recent actions by Iran and its Iraqi proxies appear designed to appease the U.S. as the Trump administration weighs taking aggressive military action against them both.

To Placate the U.S., Iran Temporarily Scales Back Its Regional Proxy Strategy

Australia

Australian Labor Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (L) debates Liberal opposition leader Peter Dutton on April 8, 2025, in Sydney, Australia. 

While another Labor government would portend domestic and foreign policy continuity, a victory by the Liberal-National coalition would signal a shift toward fiscal austerity, loosened energy regulations, expanded defense spending and stricter immigration regulations.

Australia's Election: Potential Outcomes and Their Implications

Global Elections

Ecuador

Cambodia

Malaysia

Chinese President Xi Jinping attends the closing session of the National People's Congress (NPC) in Beijing, China, on March 11, 2025. 

The Weekly Rundown: Xi Tours Southeast Asia, Iran-U.S. Nuclear Talks Begin

Poland

Spain

NATO military forces during static display after the Steadfast Dart 2025 military exercises at the Smardan Training Area in Smardan, Romania, on Feb. 19, 2025. 

Europe is increasingly focused on achieving greater strategic autonomy in defense, but internal divisions and material constraints will plague this quest, even as the United States' role on the Continent continues to shrink, meaning NATO will likely remain the cornerstone of Europe’s security architecture. 

The Future of Transatlantic Security Cooperation, Part 2: The View From Europe

Military & Security

SITUATION REPORTS

Japan, Vietnam: Ishiba Visit Deepens Semiconductor, Clean Energy and Defense Ties

China, Philippines: Countries Exchange Flag-Planting Episodes on Disputed South China Sea Feature

Pakistan, India: India Releases Floodwater, Pakistan Calls for Neutral Probe Into Kashmir Attack

Senegal: Al Qaeda Affiliate Continues Push To Infiltrate Eastern Senegal

Congo: Fighting Continues Despite U.S.-Brokered 'Declaration of Principles' With Rwanda

Germany, EU: Berlin Invokes Escape Clause in EU Fiscal Rules To Increase Defense Spending

Syria: Kurds Call for Decentralized State, Damascus Rejects It

Russia, Ukraine: Kremlin Announces Three-Day Ceasefire in May Amid Pressure From White House

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