Features

• February 12, 2026

  Will Iran Budge On Missile Program For A Deal?

  US President Donald Trump has signaled optimism that diplomacy with Iran can succeed, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fears a narrow deal could allow Tehran to expand its missile program.

• February 12, 2026

  Max Cometh: What The Blocking Of WhatsApp, Telegram Means For Millions Of Russians

  WhatsApp has long been the most popular messaging app for Russians, followed closely by Telegram. This week, officials took major steps to cut them off and make them unusable—part of a long-running, two-pronged effort to control the information Russians access online.

• February 12, 2026

  Dismissal Of Kyrgyz Security Chief Raises Stakes In Central Asia

  The sudden dismissal of Kamchybek Tashiev as head of Kyrgyzstan’s State Committee for National Security (SCNS) marks a major shift in the country’s political balance.

• February 12, 2026

  Guns Or Cucumbers: The Kremlin's Wartime Economy Steers Into Serious Crosscurrents

  On the verge of its fifth year of the Ukraine war, the Kremlin is fighting another stubborn enemy at home: high consumer prices and rising unhappiness among average Russians. The government wants to bring the economy back to earth; the question is whether it will be a hard or soft landing.

• February 12, 2026

  A Year After 'Provocative' Vance Speech, What Will Be Rubio's Message In Munich?

  Last year at the Munich Security Conference, US Vice President JD Vance shocked his hosts with a speech voicing sharp criticism of Washington’s NATO allies. This year, Russia and China will be watching closely for new signs of fractures in the Western alliance.

• February 11, 2026

  Satellite Imagery Points To Possible Russian Oreshnik Missile Site In Belarus

  A fresh satellite image obtained by RFE/RL shows that the development of a military installation is proceeding apace at a former Soviet airfield in Belarus. The image shows what may be vehicles from a nuclear-capable, hypersonic Russian missile system called Oreshnik.

• February 11, 2026

  NATO Ministers Seek Unity As Arctic Security And Spending Targets Come Into Focus

  NATO defense ministers are meeting in Brussels to mend transatlantic strains and map out how all 32 allies will meet a 5 percent defense spending goal by 2035, as Arctic security, Greenland tensions, and support for Ukraine shape talks ahead of a summit in Ankara later this year.

• February 11, 2026

  Vance's Caucasus Trip 'Plants Flag' With Economic Deals Amid Genocide Controversy

  Sandwiched between Iran and Russia and shaped by decades of conflict, Armenia and Azerbaijan drew rare high-level attention this week as US Vice President J.D. Vance visited both, signaling renewed US engagement in a region long dominated by Moscow.

• February 11, 2026

  Russia's Starlink Setback: Will Moscow Snap Back From A New Battlefield Blow In Ukraine?

  The loss of access to Starlink satellite Internet service comes at a crucial time in Russia's war on Ukraine. As Moscow scrambles for short-term fixes and longer-term alternatives for battlefield communications and aiming drones, analysts say the lasting impact will depend on how well it adapts.

• February 11, 2026

  Kazakh President Seeks Tighter Grip On Power With New Constitution

  Kazakhstan will hold a referendum on a sweeping new constitution that reshapes parliament, expands presidential powers, and addresses the status of the Russian language. Officials call the process inclusive, but critics say it consolidates authority under Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev and sidelines dissent.

• February 11, 2026

  'Robust' US Military Deployment To Gulf Ahead Of Possible Iran Strikes

  In one of the largest military deployments to the Persian Gulf in decades, the United States is building up its forces after President Donald Trump threatened strikes on Tehran if it fails to negotiate a nuclear agreement.

• February 11, 2026

  US Lawmakers Target Russian Mercenary Groups As Terrorist Organizations

  A bipartisan coalition of US lawmakers is seeking to tighten the legal and financial vise on Russia's global mercenary network, introducing legislation on February 10 that would designate the Kremlin's rebranded proxy forces as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs).

Load more