Russia had been giving President Trump the soft touch. But following the U.S. missile strike on Syria, hopes for friendlier relations are fizzling and the Kremlin's rhetorical cease-fire is over.

Russians are still trying to understand exactly what happened over the weekend, when thousands of people took part in anti-government rallies — the biggest demonstration of discontent since 2012.

A former Russian parliamentarian who fled the country last year was shot and killed in Kiev, Ukraine on Thursday. Ukraine's president quickly labeled it an act of Russian "state terrorism."

Trier, the birthplace of Karl Marx, will display the 20-foot bronze statue, a gift from the communist country. The city receives 150,000 Chinese tourists a year.

Ukraine is considered one of the world's most corrupt countries. But activists are encouraged by the ongoing case against Roman Nasirov, the country's tax chief, who is accused of embezzlement.

After protesters blockaded a Kiev courthouse, the head of Ukraine's tax authority is now in pre-trial detention in a $75 million embezzlement scheme. Activists are celebrating his arrest as the biggest victory against corruption in Ukrainian history.

Until recently, Russia took a narrow view of masculinity. Real men weren't supposed to worry about hair or skincare. Now there's a barbershop boom in Moscow, and young men are trying different styles.

Sergei Shoigu praised Russia's military prowess in Syria, noting that of 162 weapons tested, 10 performed below expectations. Human rights groups say Russia's campaign has come at a horrific cost.

"The law mentions one blow, but with one blow you can kill someone," says a young mom hiding in a shelter. "What kind of husbands, what kind of families, will we have with that law? Is that normal?"

President Trump's been dogged by reports saying his aides had contact with Russian intelligence. We look at how people in Russia are reacting to the news.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has just signed a law decriminalizing domestic violence. It's opposed by some women's groups, but both sides of the debate claim they are protecting families.

The Kremlin has denied reports that Trump campaign officials had contacts with Russian intelligence officers in the year before the election.

Flynn resigned amid allegations he inappropriately talked about U.S. sanctions with a Russian official, and later allegedly misled then Vice President-elect Mike Pence about the conversations.

Russian opposition leader and democratic activist Alexander Navalny was found guilty of embezzlement, which disqualifies him from running for president. He says the case is politically motivated.

"A crisis of confidence is the main aggravating factor in Russian-American relations," a leading parliamentarian tells NPR. With a Trump administration, he foresees a "window of opportunity."

Russian state television welcomed the change in tone between Washington and Moscow following open hostility in the last weeks of Barack Obama's presidency.

Despite official Kremlin denials and worthless U.S. intelligence reports, Russia's leading Internet security expert says the fingerprints of Putin's cyber-warriors are all over the Democratic National Committee hack.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is trying to use the situation in Syria as a way to find a more cooperative relationship with the Trump administration.

The inauguration in this country is being closely watched all over the world, including three countries whose relationship to the U.S. will likely change drastically under President Trump: Mexico, Russia and China.

Russians have been counting the days until Donald Trump is sworn in as the next U.S. president. Officials, and official television, have been blasting the Obama years and looking forward to improved ties.