St. Petersburg -- The Winters That Were
VIDEO REPORTS
The Daily Vertical: Protecting Russia's Culture Of Terror
Russia’s prosecution of Petr Pavlenskiy, who faces a 6-year sentence for “damaging a cultural site” after setting the door of FSB headquarters on fire, is a telling case.
VoxPop: Do You Want Reconciliation Between Russia And Ukraine?
In an informal poll street poll in Moscow, most respondents said they support reconciliation between Russia and Ukraine and peace among all countries, but some said Ukraine’s current leadership was an obstacle. (Russian Service)
Georgia’s Nino Burjanadze Says ‘Russia Should Not Be Teased’
In this exclusive interview, part of RFE/RL’s “Russia & Me” video project, Georgia’s former acting president calls the Kremlin a compatible partner and Vladimir Putin a man of his word, but denies being "pro-Russian."
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS
Ukraine President Begins Visit to U.S.
President Petro Poroshenko’s three-day visit will include sessions with U.S. Vice President Biden, members of Congress, and UN Secretary General Bank Ki-moon, but a meeting with President Obama is not expected, some say because of Ukraine’s failure to implement reforms. (In Ukrainian)
Ukraine Fails To Form Governing Coalition
Last-minute demands raised by former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko's Fatherland party quashed immediate hopes for a new governing coalition in Ukraine.
Russia, which has the world’s largest nuclear arsenal and a sprawling military and civilian nuclear industry long plagued by security concerns, will not be represented at the Nuclear Security Summit that opens in Washington on March 31.
Kremlin Decries Foreign Interference in September Vote
In unusually pointed remarks, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has accused unnamed foreign governments and media organizations of seeking to disrupt forthcoming parliamentary elections, saying they are trying to influence the country and “rock the boat."
Latvia Bans Russian Sputnik Site As Propaganda
Latvian authorities shut down Russia's pro-Kremlin news site Sputnik on March 29, calling it a "propaganda tool" and drawing an immediate rebuke from Moscow.
U.S. Honors Nemtsov's Daughter For Courage
The eldest daughter of slain Russian opposition politician Boris Nemtsov has been honored by the U.S. State Department for championing "democracy, education, and freedom of information" in her homeland.
Is Avdeyevka Another Donetsk Airport?
The Interpreter’s James Miller asks whether Ukraine is once again caught in a trap.
Ukrainian Marines Fight Each Other At Front
Marines stationed in the front-line village of Shirokino, near Mariupol, say that former Ukrainian marines from Crimea are among the separatists firing guided missiles at their positions. (In Russian)
Russian Private Militia Bolsters War Effort
RFE/RL investigates the “Wagner Militia,” a private grouping that is illegal under Russian law, but which is alleged to be closely associated with Russia’s defense ministry and to have fought in Ukraine and Syria. (In Russian)
Middle Eastern scholar Grigory Kosach says the capture of Palmyra was a joint campaign between Russia and the Syrian army, supported by Iran, that bolsters Russia’s credentials as a decisive force in the fight against the militant grouping Islamic State. (In Russian)
Andrey Zubov Runs For Election
Russian historian and Putin critic Andrey Zubov is running in Russia’s forthcoming parliamentary elections on the pro-liberal Parnas party ballot, on the premise that the country’s growing economic and social crisis affords the opposition an opportunity to win Duma seats and promote change. (In Russian)
How Crimea Spends Russian Money
Crimea head Sergei Aksenov expected to rule the peninsula much as Ramzan Kadyrov reigns over Chechnya, but Russia has assigned him a staff of 100 and delivered only a fraction of promised funds. (In Russian)
World Bank Approves Highway Loan For Azerbaijan
The World Bank has provided Azerbaijan with an additional $140 million loan to improve the Baku-Shamakhi highway.
INFOGRAPHIC: Palmyra’s Destruction