Geopolitics

Geopolitics: wars, alliances, sanctions, trade and the decisions between governments that shape the world.

1252 articles · page 2 of 27

Geopolitics

India approves $22 billion military upgrade amid China border tensions

India approved 2.12 trillion rupees ($22 billion) in military procurement on Monday, following an Indian military official’s statement that confrontations with Chinese soldiers were ongoing along its north-eastern border. The plans seek to modernise equipment as India seeks to counter China’s technological advancements, with experts citing Sino-Pakistan military ties as part of New Delhi’s view of Beijing as a threat.

·3 min
Geopolitics

EU plans first undersea cable link to Greenland, bypassing US

The European Union plans to create the first subsea internet cable directly connecting Europe to Greenland, a project that could eventually extend to Canada and link with Japan and South Korea while notably bypassing the United States. The Pan-Arctic Cable is described as an EU flagship project in a European Commission joint communication published on October 20, 2026, that outlines a new European strategy for the Arctic.

·1 min
Geopolitics

Vance sends letter to Iran's security chief in diplomatic push as Trump warns Gulf to prepare for strikes

US Vice President JD Vance has sent a letter to Iran's top security official proposing direct talks that would address Iran's nuclear program, marking the highest-level US outreach to Tehran in months, as President Donald Trump warns Gulf allies to prepare for a possible renewed military campaign after next week's midterm elections. Trump denied reports that he directed the initiative, saying the contact was about helping Iran obtain medical supplies.

·4 min·9 sources
Geopolitics

Putin says he is in 'close contact' with Elon Musk as Russia develops its own Starlink rival

Russian President Vladimir Putin has praised Elon Musk as a "genius" and revealed the two are in "close contact" about satellite technology, as Moscow builds its own low-Earth orbit internet constellation. The comments came as Zelenskyy said Starlink and Starshield operations had been restored after restrictions earlier this month, and preparations were underway for a possible trilateral meeting involving Ukraine, Russia and the US.

·3 min·8 sources
Geopolitics

Russia proposes widening Oleshky ceasefire into other parts of Kherson Oblast, Ukraine agrees

The Russian military has proposed moving the ceasefire in Russian-occupied Oleshky forward by two days and widening it beyond the city into other parts of Kherson Oblast, and Ukraine has agreed, Marc Beckman, the senior adviser to US First Lady Melania Trump, told the Kyiv Independent. Beckman also said Russian President Vladimir Putin wrote a formal letter explaining that the first lady would be recognised as the exclusive intermediary from Russia.

·3 min
Geopolitics

China to pay 56% less than other foreign buyers for Russian gas, documents show

Russian government projections show China paying roughly 56 percent less than other foreign customers for Russian natural gas in 2026, according to The Moscow Times, which cited Russian Duma documentation. The reporting, carried by Eurasianet, says the steep discount reflects the Kremlin's fiscal dependence on Beijing and comes as China expands investment in mining, ports, energy and digital infrastructure across Central Asia.

·3 min
Geopolitics

Zelensky expects Nov 6-10 window for Ukraine peace talks, but European role disputed

President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Oct. 28 he expects trilateral peace talks with Russia and the United States in Abu Dhabi to take place between Nov. 6 and 10, but both Washington and Moscow have yet to confirm a date. The Kremlin ruled out European participation in the talks, contradicting Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Zelensky himself, who said Europe must be involved because security guarantees cannot be discussed without it.

·3 min·4 sources
Geopolitics

Russian oil exports hold near pre-war levels as US Marines join Baltic cable mission

New UBS data shows Russian crude exports are only about 10% below pre-war levels, with an estimated 61% now moving on shadow fleet tankers outside Western insurance, undercutting assumptions that sanctions and Ukrainian strikes had crippled Moscow's energy trade. The findings come as a team of around four dozen US Marines joins a NATO-led operation in the Baltic Sea to protect undersea cables, a mission driven in part by concerns over that same shadow fleet.

·3 min·2 sources
Geopolitics

Zelensky in Netherlands as Dutch unveil $1.3 billion non-military aid package and urge Europe to 'step up'

President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in the Netherlands on Oct. 28 for talks with Dutch officials on defense cooperation and air defense, as the Dutch government confirmed a 1.2-billion-euro ($1.3 billion) non-military aid package for Ukraine to be disbursed over the next three years. Dutch Foreign Trade Minister Sjoerd Sjoerdsma, visiting Kyiv on the same day, urged European countries to increase support before winter sets in, saying 'there cannot be business as usual with Russia'.

·3 min·3 sources
Geopolitics

Ukrainian attack reported near Lipetsk steel plant that supplies Russian military

Explosions and fires were reported in the Russian city of Lipetsk late on Oct. 27 following a strike by Ukrainian forces, with a fire breaking out in the area of the Novolipetsk Metallurgical Plant, according to Ukrainian monitoring channel Exilenova Plus. The plant has previously been identified as a supplier to Russian defense companies producing air defense systems, drones, missiles, and other weapons, and is owned by sanctioned Russian billionaire Vladimir Lisin.

·2 min
Geopolitics

Russian drone attacks shatter safety of western Ukraine as strikes intensify

Russia has intensified drone attacks on western Ukraine in recent weeks, striking cities such as Lutsk and Rivne that had been considered relatively safe havens, according to residents and emergency workers who spoke to the Kyiv Independent. The escalation, driven by expanded production of faster Geran jet-powered drones, has killed civilians, damaged infrastructure and forced schools to alter their schedules.

·3 min
Geopolitics

Oleshky ceasefire holds, expands as European leaders speak with Putin and Kyiv comes under fire

A rare humanitarian ceasefire in the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky has been expanded across the Kherson region and appeared to be holding on Tuesday, even as diplomatic efforts intensified with a rare direct call between European leaders and Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian forces revealed details of a major underground operation against Russian troops. The localized pause in fighting, aimed at delivering aid and evacuating trapped civilians, stood in stark contrast to continued Russian ballistic missile strikes on Kyiv and a successful Ukrainian raid near Kupiansk.

·3 min·17 sources