https://www.rferl.org Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty is an international news organization serving Central and Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, Central Asia, Russia, the Middle East and Balkan countries https://www.rferl.org/Content/responsive/RFE/en-US/img/logo.png https://www.rferl.org en Copyright 2026 - RFE/RL, Inc. 60 Sat, 01 Aug 2026 16:15:03 +0200 Pangea CMS – RFE/RL A renewed exchange of military strikes and threats between the US and Iran has raised fresh fears of a wider Middle East war. But Jacob Stoil, research professor of Middle East security studies at the US Army War College, argues the more important story may be what has not happened. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-war-stoil-army-war-college-interview/33819707.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-war-stoil-army-war-college-interview/33819707.html Sat, 01 Aug 2026 10:25:00 +0200 IranFeaturesThe Rundown StoriesMiddle East US President Donald Trump's decision to step back from his earlier pledge to allow Ukraine to manufacture Patriot missile interceptors has prompted renewed debate in Washington over the future direction of US military support for Kyiv. https://www.rferl.org/a/patriot-missile-trump-bacon-republicans-ukraine-zelenskyy/33819653.html https://www.rferl.org/a/patriot-missile-trump-bacon-republicans-ukraine-zelenskyy/33819653.html Sat, 01 Aug 2026 06:41:57 +0200 NewsRussiaUkraineRussia Invades UkraineThe Rundown Stories US President Donald Trump has confirmed that he will send his envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, to Kyiv in the coming weeks. RFE/RL spoke with Kurt Volker about the significance of their visit. https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-war-russia-kyiv-visit-us-envoys-witkoff-kushner/33819200.html https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-war-russia-kyiv-visit-us-envoys-witkoff-kushner/33819200.html Fri, 31 Jul 2026 15:34:20 +0200 UkraineFeaturesRussiaRussia Invades UkraineThe Rundown Stories Former Trump White House official Allison Minor says Iran's latest attacks exposed the limits of the traditional US security guarantee in the Gulf. She argues Washington should shift toward a regional security model built on shared capabilities, integration, and stronger partnerships. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-gulf-security-us-role-allison-minor-interview/33818576.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-gulf-security-us-role-allison-minor-interview/33818576.html Thu, 30 Jul 2026 20:08:49 +0200 IranFeaturesThe Rundown StoriesMiddle East Ahead of the US Senate's vote on legislation aimed at tightening economic pressure on Russia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke alongside senators and said the bill carries significance far beyond its direct economic impact. https://www.rferl.org/a/united-states-ukraine-zelenskyy-sanctions-bill/33817264.html https://www.rferl.org/a/united-states-ukraine-zelenskyy-sanctions-bill/33817264.html Wed, 29 Jul 2026 03:50:13 +0200 UkraineVideo ArchiveVideos As Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the US Capitol, a majority of senators from both parties voted to advance legislation intended to strike at the economic foundations of Russia's war. https://www.rferl.org/a/zelenskyy-united-states-senate-bill-sanctions-russia/33817262.html https://www.rferl.org/a/zelenskyy-united-states-senate-bill-sanctions-russia/33817262.html Wed, 29 Jul 2026 03:09:46 +0200 NewsRussiaUkraineRussia Invades UkraineThe Rundown Stories Ahead of a Senate vote on a sanctions package targeting Russia and Iran, Democratic Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, a co-sponsor of the legislation, told RFE/RL that the legislation sends a strong message that the United States is committed to supporting Ukraine. https://www.rferl.org/a/us-sanctions-bill-russia-ukraine/33816953.html https://www.rferl.org/a/us-sanctions-bill-russia-ukraine/33816953.html Tue, 28 Jul 2026 23:20:23 +0200 UkraineVideo ArchiveVideos As the US Senate prepared to vote on a sweeping bipartisan sanctions package targeting Russia and Iran, Democratic Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, a co-sponsor of the legislation, said the measure reflects renewed bipartisan resolve to squeeze the Kremlin war machine and reinforce support for Ukraine.  https://www.rferl.org/a/us-senate-whitehouse-sanctions-russia-iran/33816935.html https://www.rferl.org/a/us-senate-whitehouse-sanctions-russia-iran/33816935.html Tue, 28 Jul 2026 21:22:21 +0200 FeaturesIranRussiaUkraineRussia Invades UkraineThe Rundown Stories Russia and Iran's expanding partnership in drones, intelligence, sanctions evasion and internal security is increasingly linking the conflicts in Ukraine and the Persian Gulf, says Nicole Grajewski, an expert on Russian-Iranian relations. https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-iran-partnership-ukraine-persian-gulf-nicole-grajewski/33816737.html https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-iran-partnership-ukraine-persian-gulf-nicole-grajewski/33816737.html Tue, 28 Jul 2026 14:36:50 +0200 FeaturesIranRussiaThe Rundown Stories Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had "a good meeting" with US President Donald Trump on July 28. The meeting, which had been expected to be one of the most consequential moments in US-Ukraine relations since Donald Trump's return to the White House, lasted about a hour. https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-zelenskyy-trump-talks-washigton/33816609.html https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-zelenskyy-trump-talks-washigton/33816609.html Tue, 28 Jul 2026 11:43:00 +0200 UkraineNewsRussia Invades UkraineThe Rundown Stories In an interview with RFE/RL, Ken Moriyasu, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, said the countries of Central Asia appear to be giving up on Iran as a gateway to global trade, a situation which is driving new approaches to cooperation with China and Pakistan. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-central-asia-china-pakistan-trade/33816146.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-central-asia-china-pakistan-trade/33816146.html Mon, 27 Jul 2026 22:26:32 +0200 IranVideo ArchiveVideos Has the Iran conflict permanently reshaped Central Asia's strategic map? Hudson Institute senior fellow Ken Moriyasu explains why governments across the region are increasingly looking beyond Iran toward Pakistan, Afghanistan and China for trade, connectivity, and access to global markets. https://www.rferl.org/a/central-asia-looking-beyond-iran-ken-moryasu/33816153.html https://www.rferl.org/a/central-asia-looking-beyond-iran-ken-moryasu/33816153.html Mon, 27 Jul 2026 21:59:35 +0200 IranFeaturesThe Rundown Stories Russia's deepening partnerships with China, Iran, and North Korea represent one of the most significant geopolitical realignments driven by the war in Ukraine. Yet according to Andrea Kendall-Taylor, viewing this grouping through the lens of a traditional military alliance misses the bigger picture. https://www.rferl.org/a/us-russia-china-iran-ukraine-war/33812439.html https://www.rferl.org/a/us-russia-china-iran-ukraine-war/33812439.html Fri, 24 Jul 2026 20:37:49 +0200 RussiaNewsFeaturesUkraineThe Rundown StoriesEurope US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said following talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov that the United States remains prepared to help broker an end to Russia's war in Ukraine but that fresh proposals would be needed after previous peace ideas failed.  https://www.rferl.org/a/rubio-ukraine-war-lavrov-meeting-russia/33810551.html https://www.rferl.org/a/rubio-ukraine-war-lavrov-meeting-russia/33810551.html Thu, 23 Jul 2026 12:56:09 +0200 NewsRussiaUkraineRussia Invades UkraineThe Rundown Stories Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov dodged RFE/RL's senior correspondent Alex Raufoglu's questions on ending the war in Ukraine amid a meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the sidelines of Association of Southeast Asian Nations foreign ministers' meetings in Manila on July 23. https://www.rferl.org/a/nice-hairstyle-russian-foreign-minister-dodges-rfe-rl-question-on-ukraine/33810525.html https://www.rferl.org/a/nice-hairstyle-russian-foreign-minister-dodges-rfe-rl-question-on-ukraine/33810525.html Thu, 23 Jul 2026 11:40:49 +0200 VideosIranRussiaUkraineVideo Archive The US and Ukraine have signed a statement of intent creating the first formal framework for cooperation on military drones, paving the way for Ukrainian combat drones to be exported to the US for testing and potentially future joint production. https://www.rferl.org/a/us-ukraine-drone-cooperation-agreement/33809808.html https://www.rferl.org/a/us-ukraine-drone-cooperation-agreement/33809808.html Wed, 22 Jul 2026 12:16:33 +0200 UkraineNewsRussia Invades UkraineThe Rundown Stories US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has warned that Iran's challenge to freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz threatened not only global trade but also risked setting a dangerous precedent for Asia's contested maritime routes. https://www.rferl.org/a/rubio-iran-diplomacy-global-shipping-hormuz-asean/33809704.html https://www.rferl.org/a/rubio-iran-diplomacy-global-shipping-hormuz-asean/33809704.html Wed, 22 Jul 2026 09:08:08 +0200 IranNewsThe Rundown Stories Marco Rubio arrives at ASEAN talks dominated by China tensions and the Iran war, as Southeast Asian governments increasingly weigh strategic partnerships against concerns over energy costs, shipping disruptions, inflation, and economic stability. https://www.rferl.org/a/rubio-asean-iran-war-china-energy-security-russia/33809063.html https://www.rferl.org/a/rubio-asean-iran-war-china-energy-security-russia/33809063.html Tue, 21 Jul 2026 15:03:15 +0200 FeaturesIranRussiaThe Rundown Stories As Russia's war against Ukraine reshapes Europe's security landscape, Estonia is closely watching the Kremlin's next moves. In an interview with RFE/RL, Estonia's Undersecretary for Internal Security Joosep Kaasik discusses why Tallinn believes prevention is Europe's best defense. https://www.rferl.org/a/estonia-russian-fighters-schengen-joosep-kaasik/33806356.html https://www.rferl.org/a/estonia-russian-fighters-schengen-joosep-kaasik/33806356.html Sat, 18 Jul 2026 10:37:06 +0200 RussiaFeaturesThe Rundown Stories With the US and Iran launching fresh strikes in the Middle East, the Strait of Hormuz is back under the spotlight. Naval strategist Joshua Tallis says restoring commercial confidence -- not military force alone -- will determine when shipping returns to normal. https://www.rferl.org/a/hormuz-strait-confidence-naval-tallis-us-iran/33805855.html https://www.rferl.org/a/hormuz-strait-confidence-naval-tallis-us-iran/33805855.html Sat, 18 Jul 2026 00:28:06 +0200 IranNewsFeaturesThe Rundown Stories