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Black smoke rises from the area of Gazprom Neft’s Moscow oil refinery on the southeastern outskirts of Moscow on June 18, 2026. (Getty Images)
Europe
Europe
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The logo of the United Nations at the General Debate of the UN General Assembly in New York. (Getty Images)
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The Council of Foreign Ministers Meeting of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) in Turkistan, Kazakhstan, on May 15, 2026. (Getty Images)
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(Screenshot via YouTube)
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The village of Kangaamiut, Greenland, on March 14, 2026. (Getty Images)
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, and Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif attend the official opening ceremony of Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Antalya, Türkiye, on April 17, 2026. (Getty Images)
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Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with Belarusian Defence Minister Viktor Khrenin at a training ground in the Nizhny Novgorod Oblast on September 16, 2025. (Getty Images
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Ukrainian soldiers operate a Bliskavka attack drone to strike Russian positions in the direction of Kostiantynivka, Ukraine, on May 15, 2026. (Getty Images)
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Vessels are seen anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off the port city of Khasab, Oman, on May 17, 2026. (Getty Images)
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Smoke rises above Kyiv during a Russian strike on the Ukrainian capital on May 24, 2026, amid the Russian invasion in Ukraine. (Getty Images)
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A large Ukrainian flag waves in the wind as smoke rises on the horizon along the front line following a bombardment by Russian forces on May 25, 2026, in Kramatorsk, Ukraine. (Getty Images)
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The USS Gerald R. Ford transits the Strait of Gibraltar on October 1, 2025. (US Navy)
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(What Really Matters Logo)
Experts
Matthew Boyse
Senior Fellow, Center on Europe and Eurasia
Luke Coffey
Senior Fellow, Center on Europe and Eurasia
Tsiporah Fried
Visiting Senior Fellow
Can Kasapoğlu
Senior Fellow (Nonresident)
