One Year Later, Crimeans Prefer Russia

Alexander Reed Kelly / Truthdig Feb 6, 2015 According to a survey that a Bloomberg contributor called "the most representative independent poll taken on the peninsula since its annexation," 82 percent of Crimeans fully support their region's inclusion in Russia rather than Ukraine, while only 4 percent spoke out against it. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Putin, Blocked by Europe, Turns to Turkey for Gas Pipeline

Juan Cole / Truthdig Dec 2, 2014 Moscow's annexation of Crimea and its heavy interference in Ukraine have had a significant consequence for Russia's hydrocarbon industry. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Vladimir Putin Immortalized in Herculean Fan Art

Kasia Anderson / Truthdig Oct 8, 2014 Russian President Vladimir Putin certainly knows his best angles and how to play to the camera, and he's staged many spectacles that stretch the outer limits of credulity in a series of memorable photo-ops since the global spotlight was first trained on him. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko Sounds Hopeful Note About Country’s Crisis

Kasia Anderson / Truthdig Sep 25, 2014 After nearly a year of internal turmoil and several months of bloody conflict, Ukraine might be headed for more peaceful times, if President Petro Poroshenko's hopeful prognosis bears out. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Obama and NATO Allies Signal Support for Ukraine at Wales Summit

Kasia Anderson / Truthdig Sep 4, 2014 In an expected show of solidarity, President Barack Obama, British Prime Minister David Cameron, French President Francois Hollande and other NATO delegates meeting in Wales on Thursday agreed to disagree with Moscow over the ongoing crisis in Ukraine and readied new sanctions against Russia. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Obama Calls Russia’s Activity in Ukraine a ‘Brazen Assault’

Kasia Anderson / Truthdig Sep 3, 2014 Speaking in Estonia two days before huddling with NATO officials in Wales to discuss the simmering conflict with Russia over Ukraine, Barack Obama characterized the crisis as a "moment of testing" for NATO. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Ukraine Spurns Russia’s Request for Cease-Fire Against Rebels

Kasia Anderson / Truthdig Sep 1, 2014 From Russia's perspective, the roiling conflict in Ukraine between pro-government troops and rebels looks like a country at war with itself, but according to officials in Kiev, the ongoing fight is about resisting Russia's encroachment onto their soil -- on behalf of Europe. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

NATO, U.S.: 1,000 Russian Troops Have Entered Ukraine to Aid Rebels (Video Update)

Kasia Anderson / Truthdig Aug 28, 2014 According to NATO Brig. Gen. Niko Tak, as well as U.S. and Ukrainian officials, more than 1,000 Russian troops have crossed the border into Ukraine to shore up pro-Russian rebels in their fight against government forces. Update: President Obama made a statement Thursday afternoon about the conflict. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Putin Calls for Sanctions Against Countries That Imposed Sanctions Against Russia

Kasia Anderson / Truthdig Aug 7, 2014 Russian President Vladimir Putin wanted to fight economic fire with economic fire after the United States and the European Union brought sanctions against his country last week, and as of Wednesday, his call to action was heeded in the form of sanctions against those same nations. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Russian Troops Build Up at Ukrainian Border

Kasia Anderson / Truthdig Aug 5, 2014 The beefed-up presence of Russian forces on the Russia-Ukraine border in recent days has gotten the attention of NATO officials, who have counted some 20,000 troops in "battle-ready formations," the Financial Times reported on Tuesday. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

MH17 Crash Site, Victims’ Remains Reportedly Under Rebel Control (Updated)

Staff / Truthdig Jul 21, 2014 The site of downed Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 became even more politically fraught Sunday, when pro-Russian separatists reportedly took custody of the remains of some 200 bodies of crash victims and obstructed emergency workers' access to the area. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Twenty-First-Century Energy Wars

By Michael T. Klare, TomDispatch Jul 10, 2014 The world is aflame with new or intensifying conflicts that appear to be independent events, driven by their own unique and idiosyncratic circumstances. But look more closely and they share several key characteristics -- notably, a witch’s brew of ethnic, religious, and national antagonisms that have been stirred to the boiling point by a fixation on energy. Dig deeper ( 15 Min. Read )