Will French President Emmanuel Macron turn out to be the West's Putin whisperer?

President Macron is trying his charm offensive with the Russian leader. Macron attends an economic conference in St Petersburg Friday that Putin uses to showcase Russia's development under his rule.

French President Emmanuel Macron will attend the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum Friday making him one of few Western leaders to attend Vladimir Putin's annual event since the annexation of Crimea.

Alexei Navalny was arrested during protests in Moscow on Saturday. Demonstrators across Russia marched in opposition to President Vladimir Putin, who begins his fourth term in office Monday.

Thousands of U.S. troops arrived in Vladivostok, Russia, 100 years ago hoping to influence the course of the civil war that raged in the country after the Bolshevik Revolution.

Sanctions require Russia to expel about 30,000 North Korean migrant workers. In this city in Russia's Far East, some business owners say they will be sorely missed.

Russia's support of U.N. sanctions against North Korea means the country will expel tens of thousands of North Korean migrant laborers. The Russian port city of Vladivostok is one area being impacted.

"Throwing out 60 diplomats is a big blow to the ability of people simply to have discussions on subjects that need to be discussed," said James Collins, a former U.S. ambassador to Moscow.

House Speaker Paul Ryan says he will not run for re-election. Also, we look at the legality of potential U.S. missile strikes on Syria and Russia's response.

After the most recent round of diplomatic expulsions, the U.S. embassy in Moscow has lost vital staff — including those working on important bilateral issues, like Syria, Ukraine and arms control. For ordinary Russians, the cuts at the embassy mean it's virtually impossible to get a U.S. visa in Moscow anymore.

The Trump administration's list includes people close to President Vladimir Putin as well as weapons manufacturing and energy firms.

Russia's government has used the Siberian mall fire and diplomatic expulsions to help portray Putin is the only man who can protect and lead Russia through tough times.

Tensions between Russia and the West are ratcheting up as the Russian Foreign Ministry announced the expulsion of 60 U.S. officials and the closure of the U.S. Consulate in St. Petersburg.

Russians are angry about a mall fire in Siberia that killed 64 people. And, the U.S. and other countries expelled Russian diplomats after an ex-Russian spy in Britain was exposed to a nerve agent.

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says the expulsion of Russian diplomats are the result of "colossal blackmail" by the U.S.. That so many nations are taking part, he said, shows how few truly independent countries are left in the world.

Russian diplomats are being expelled across the U.S. and Europe after Russia allegedly poisoned a former Russian double agent living in the U.K. NPR looks at Russia's response to the expulsions.

The fire broke out in a shopping mall in Siberia, according to Russia's Emergencies Minister. Many of the missing are children. It's Russia's deadliest fire in years.

Vladimir Putin has handily won a fourth term as Russia's president, with many voters telling NPR they saw no other viable candidates.

Putin has been declared the winner in Sunday's Russian election, giving him a fourth term as president. Critics say the vote was staged, and the only questions are over the size of Putin's majority.

Russia chooses a president on Sunday, but critics say the election has been carefully managed to offer voters little choice other than Vladimir Putin.