Given the disconnect between Russia and the US and its NATO allies, it is puzzling why the talks happened at all, and what might possibly be gained from them.
Negotiations between Western democracies and Russia over the fate of Ukraine took place against a backdrop of Russia troops entering Kazakhstan. It’s a reminder that Russia is willing to play tough.
As Ukraine wrestles with the latest threat from its larger neighbor, two scholars explain how the independent country is often viewed as part of a greater Russia – and why that inflames tensions.
When the Soviet Union collapsed in December 1991, Russia formed a bloc with Ukraine and Belarus. The region is now at the centre of escalating tensions between Russia and the west.
European leaders have accused Belarus of using civilians as weapons along the EU border in a ‘hybrid war’. And Russia, they say, is the mastermind behind it.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to seek commitments from his US counterpart, pledging support in his country’s ongoing battle with the Russian Federation.
Another wave of COVID-19 in Russia is undermining public health and threatens economic recovery. But widespread mistrust of institutions will stymie the country’s efforts to move past the pandemic.
Despite a 27% approval rating, Putin’s United Russia party can maintain its legislative majority in September through manipulation and fraud, says an expert on Russian elections.