Europe has long been reliant on Russian natural gas, but the war in Ukraine is forcing governments to look for different energy sources. 

President Putin’s deployment of troops in two separatist Ukrainian regions has nearly shut the door on diplomacy and intensified a showdown over European security.

Russia has demanded security guarantees that U.S. and NATO officials cannot accept, but there could still be room for building a sustainable dialogue on European security.

The challenge of hosting the Olympic Games in Tokyo amid the coronavirus pandemic has confounded Japan’s government, but postponing the Olympics further does not seem to be an option.

The European Union and the United Kingdom came to a last-minute trade deal on Christmas Eve, narrowly averting the hardest of all potential Brexits. But major uncertainty remains.