The Obama administration's "reset" of its relationship with Russia has largely failed, and in his second term, the president must press Moscow harder on human rights, which are under threat from President Vladimir Putin, Russian opposition leaders and Kremlin critics say.
Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, once one of Russia's most popular leaders, is now politically a "dead man walking" as his former mentor, President Vladimir Putin, undermines him, leading many to predict that the ruthless president is preparing to dump his reform-minded protege.
President Obama's plan to carry out a new round of nuclear-warhead cuts will be announced soon, U.S. officials say.
Just six months after Obama made a campaign stop at the Star Brewery in Dubuque, Iowa, the shop is now apparently closed. A sign posted on the front door says the business is "permanently closed," THonline.com reports.
Lady Gaga has expressed "her gratitude" to Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev for opposing regional laws that make it a crime to provide minors with information about homosexuality.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has spent years building his reputation as a macho, athletic leader able to tackle any crisis, but continued rumors about his health have threatened to shatter his carefully constructed image.
Russia expects President Obama to abide by his promise to show more flexibility in a dispute over U.S. missile defense plans in Europe following his re-election, a top official said Thursday.
Russia's prime minister said Friday the women in the Pussy Riot punk band serving two-year prison sentences should be set free, while a band member's husband tried to visit his wife in jail in a central Russian region known for its gloomy Stalinist-era gulags.
Facebook head Mark Zuckerberg was in Moscow on Monday, where top officials were pressing him to expand the company's operations in Russia.
