United States

Australia

United Kingdom

Military & Security

Politics

Australia's and the United Kingdom's defense ministers agreed on a 50-year bilateral treaty to underpin joint nuclear-powered submarine development, industrial cooperation, workforce training and rotational basing under AUKUS Pillar I, the Australian Financial Review reported on July 25.

Australia, U.K.: Canberra, London Sign 50-Year Submarine Treaty Amid AUKUS Review

Iran

Germany

France

Economics

Energy

Diplomats from Iran, France, Germany and the United Kingdom met in Istanbul, Turkey, on July 25 and agreed to continue talks at a later, unspecified date, but they did not reach a breakthrough on the nuclear issue or sanctions, Bloomberg reported the same day.

Iran, EU: Meeting on Iran's Nuclear Program Yields No Breakthroughs, No Collapse

India

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi signed a bilateral trade deal that aims to increase trade between the two countries by 25.5 billion pounds ($34 billion) by 2040, Reuters reported on July 24.

India, U.K.: London and New Delhi Sign Free Trade Agreement

Cyber

Environment, Science & Technology

Science & Technology

The United Kingdom plans to move forward with legislative proposals to counter ransomware, according to the Home Office's formal government response to consultations with the private sector launched in January.

U.K.: Government Proposes Ransomware Payment Ban on Public Sector

The United Kingdom's government is "seeking a way out" of its ongoing clash with the U.S. Trump administration over London's January notice to Apple ordering it to create a backdoor to access content uploaded to iCloud from any Apple user worldwide, the Financial Times reported on July 20.

U.K., U.S.: London May Reverse Demand for Apple To Break End-to-End iCloud Encryption

Europe

The European Union will require the United Kingdom to provide compensation for a percentage of the value of any arms bought from British companies under the bloc's new 150 billion euro ($175 billion) Security Action for Europe, or SAFE, project, the Financial Times reported on July 21.

U.K., EU: Brussels To Demand Compensation From London Under SAFE Defense Spending Program

Russia

The British government sanctioned 18 people across three units of Russia's GRU military intelligence agency who are accused of conducting cyber and hybrid warfare operations targeting the United Kingdom and Ukraine, Bloomberg reported on July 18.

U.K., Russia: British Government Sanctions Russian Spies Over Hybrid Warfare

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer signed a landmark bilateral agreement in London designed to deepen cooperation on defense, trade and migration, according to a joint press release on July 17.

U.K., Germany: London and Berlin Sign Bilateral Defense and Security Pact

Assessments

Ethiopia

Brazil

Israel

Japan

French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou leaves after the weekly cabinet meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, on Aug. 27, 2025.

Israel-Hamas 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: France's Bayrou Faces a Confidence Vote, Ethiopia Inaugurates Its Mega-Dam

China

Ukraine

U.S. President Donald Trump on April 24 in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington. In an interview July 10, U.S. President Donald Trump suggested he would "have a major statement to make on Russia on Monday," perhaps representing a shift in his administration's policy.

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

The Weekly Rundown: Trump Speaks on Ukraine, Sweeping EU Budget Reform

Snapshots

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer (L) and French President Emmanuel Macron hold a press conference on July 10, 2025, in London.

The series of agreements will deepen cooperation between Europe's two nuclear powers at a time of strategic flux and institutional fragmentation across the Continent.

New U.K.-France Defense Deals Mark a Step Toward a European Nuclear Deterrent

U.S.-Iran Relations

The Weekly Rundown: Netanyahu's U.S. Visit, a Franco-British Summit

Canada

Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles and British Defense Secretary John Healey sit together for the AUKUS Defense Ministers Meeting at Old Royal Naval College on Sept. 26, 2024, in London, England.

Despite growing U.S. skepticism, strong imperatives to counter China's maritime presence will likely lead Washington to see a revised version of the AUKUS defense pact through.

U.S. Review of AUKUS Pillar I Puts Pact on Shaky Ground

Sub-Saharan Africa

Italy

Rescue teams work at damaged buildings in Nobonyad Square following Israeli airstrikes on June 13, 2025, in Tehran, Iran. 

Global Trade

The Weekly Rundown: G7 Leaders' Summit, More Israeli Attacks on Iran

An image shows a row of flags from the G7 members.

The June 15-17 summit will provide an opportunity for the bloc to discuss trade tensions and the war in Ukraine, but the meeting is more likely to expose transatlantic divisions over Trump's tariffs and reluctance to pressure Russia.

What To Expect From the First G7 Summit Following Trump's Return to the White House

A digital illustration of the U.K. and EU flags.

The agreements will institutionalize defense cooperation and ease trade frictions, though lingering political constraints will limit deeper integration in the near term.

The U.K.-EU Deal Signals a Strategic Recalibration of Post-Brexit Trade and Defense Relations

South Africa

Taiwan

Portugal

Poland

Romania

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is scheduled to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump on May 21 during an official trip to the United States.

The Weekly Rundown: South Africa's U.S. Reset, Three European Elections

U.S. President Donald Trump -- flanked by Vice President JD Vance (left) and Peter Mandelson, the U.K. ambassador to the United States (right) -- holds a phone call with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer in the Oval Office of the White House on May 8, 2025. 

The agreement's narrow scope and quota system suggest the White House remains intent on restricting imports, meaning tariff relief for most other countries reaching deals will also be limited.

Trump Reaches First Post-Tariff Trade Deal With the U.K.

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

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

<p>The United Kingdom is located in Northwestern Europe and includes the island of Great Britain, surrounding islands and part of Ireland. The country is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea, the Irish Sea and the English Channel. The rugged coastline &mdash; around 12,500 kilometers long &mdash; and surrounding waters, covering important oil and gas reserves, offer the nation protection; particularly from rivals in continental Europe. The United Kingdom&#39;s main geographic challenge is the integration of the British Isles. The rugged topography of the islands fostered the development of strong regional identities. Competing regions like Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland make it difficult to maintain control from the core region in the fertile lowlands around London. When British governments overcome domestic divisions, they can turn their attention outward. Control over the surrounding seas was vital for dominance of the Mediterranean and Atlantic Ocean, and from there, the development of the British Empire. Substantial coal and iron deposits along with an intricate river and canal system were among the factors that drove the country to lead the Industrial Revolution in the 1800s. The dominance of the Royal Navy gave Britain control of the oceans and global trade. The United Kingdom&#39;s detachment from continental Europe offers protection since a united European empire could challenge the country&#39;s independence. Having a voice in the European Union and strong military and economic ties with the United States help London counter this potential threat.</p>

SITUATION REPORTS

Australia, U.K.: Canberra, London Sign 50-Year Submarine Treaty Amid AUKUS Review

Iran, EU: Meeting on Iran's Nuclear Program Yields No Breakthroughs, No Collapse

India, U.K.: London and New Delhi Sign Free Trade Agreement

U.K.: Government Proposes Ransomware Payment Ban on Public Sector

U.K., U.S.: London May Reverse Demand for Apple To Break End-to-End iCloud Encryption

U.K., EU: Brussels To Demand Compensation From London Under SAFE Defense Spending Program

U.K., Russia: British Government Sanctions Russian Spies Over Hybrid Warfare

U.K., Germany: London and Berlin Sign Bilateral Defense and Security Pact

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