Malaysia Airlines Flight 17

Atop the spire of a building in Moscow, a man takes a "selfie" as he stands with a Ukrainian flag on a Soviet-style star re-touched with blue paint to resemble the yellow-and-blue national colors of Ukraine.

32 stories above Moscow, an unusual protest unfurls

Global Politics

An unusual protest in took place 32 stories above Moscow on Wednesday. There, attached to the iconic Soviet star atop a famous apartment building, an unnamed protester unfurled the Ukrainian flag and gave a shot in the arm to Russians opposed to intervention in Ukraine.

Tourists on the beach in Yalta, a Crimean resort.

Russians flock to their ‘little bit of paradise’ in Crimea — and back its annexation

Lifestyle
A Russian convoy of trucks carrying humanitarian aid for Ukraine stops along a road in the city of Voronezh August 12, 2014. The convoy carrying tons of humanitarian aid left on Tuesday for eastern Ukraine, where government forces are closing in on pro-Ru

Few in Ukraine are buying that Russia is sending a ‘humanitarian’ convoy to their country

Conflict
A US cartoon from 1877, showing Russia as an octopus spreading its tentacles over Europe and south-west Asia. In that year, Russia went to war to ‘save’ Orthodox Christian rebels in the Ottoman Empire.

Moscow has a long history of making interesting excuses for its military interventions

Conflict
A worker arranges cheese for sale at a grocery store in Moscow on August 7, 2014. Moscow imposed a total ban on imports of many Western foods on Thursday in retaliation against sanctions over Ukraine.

C’est it ain’t so! Russia bans French cheese and other European food imports

Global Politics
A worker arranges cheese for sale at a grocery store in Moscow on August 7, 2014. Moscow imposed a total ban on imports of many Western foods on Thursday in retaliation against sanctions over Ukraine.

C’est it ain’t so! Russia bans French cheese and other European food imports

Global Politics

Russian President Vladimir Putin has banned most food imports from any country that has imposed sanctions on his country. That’s left Russians scrambling to buy products like French cheese before it’s all gone — and maybe asking bigger questions as well.

Then-President Dmitry Medvedev of Russia toasts with champagne during a state dinner in Warsaw in 2010.

As Russia bans food imports, Russians freak out over foreign liquor

Culture

The Russian government fired back at economic sanctions by banning food imports from the Western countries who imposed the penalties. But some Russians worry less about the return of bread lines and more about dry liquor cabinets.The Russian government fired back at economic sanctions by banning food imports from the Western countries who imposed the penalties. But some Russians worry less about the return of bread lines and more about dry liquor cabinets.

Russian-owned VTB Bank will be impacted by EU sanctions against Russia's economy. A monument of Soviet state founder Vladimir Lenin stands on the top of a building.

With new sanctions, the EU launches a broad economic attack on Russia

Global Politics

European leaders agreed Tuesday to impose tough economic sanctions against Russia. The new measures are designed to place broad pressure on the Russian economy and force Vladimir Putin into de-escalating tensions in eastern Ukraine. But will the new measures work?European leaders agreed Tuesday to impose tough economic sanctions against Russia. The new measures are designed to place broad pressure on the Russian economy and force Vladimir Putin into de-escalating tensions in eastern Ukraine. But will the new measures work?

A car drives past the remains of a spent ammunition on the suburbs of Donetsk, Tuesday. Intense fighting between Ukrainian troops and pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine killed dozens of civilians, soldiers and rebels, as Kiev pressed on with an offensi

A Ukrainian military offensive blocks access to Malaysia Airlines crash site

Conflict & Justice

Ukrainian government forces are on the attack close to where Malaysia Airlines flight 17 came down almost two weeks ago. They’re trying to surround the key rebel city of Donetsk, but they may prevent efforts to retrieve the remaining bodies and wreckage in the process.

A car drives past the remains of a spent ammunition on the suburbs of Donetsk, Tuesday. Intense fighting between Ukrainian troops and pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine killed dozens of civilians, soldiers and rebels, as Kiev pressed on with an offensi

A Ukrainian military offensive blocks access to Malaysia Airlines crash site

Conflict & Justice

Ukrainian government forces are on the attack close to where Malaysia Airlines flight 17 came down almost two weeks ago. They’re trying to surround the key rebel city of Donetsk, but they may prevent efforts to retrieve the remaining bodies and wreckage in the process.