"At this point, we're being manipulated by the Russians at very little cost to them. Things pop up, and we go into a frenzy," Thomas Graham of Kissinger Associates tells NPR in a rare interview.

Russian state television said that U.S. intelligence accusations of Vladimir Putin ordering election meddling are nothing new.

When the Soviet Union came crashing down 25 years ago, many Russians hoped their country would become a democracy. But increasingly, government critics are choosing political exile.

As 2016 drew to a close, Russian President Vladimir Putin declined to retaliate for new U.S. sanctions. He hopes to turn a new page in the U.S.-Russia relationship with President-elect Donald Trump.

Russians still wish each other "joy and happiness" to welcome the New Year, but in the sophisticated cocktail bars of Moscow, the drinks are much more complex than vodka.

Russia responded to new U.S. sanctions with political theater, careening from threats of countermeasures to a reprieve from Vladimir Putin, who pledged to work with Donald Trump to repair ties.

Russian President Vladimir Putin held his annual press conference in Moscow on Friday and spent much of it attacking the policies of outgoing U.S. President Barack Obama.

During his annual news conference, Russia's leader also addressed accusations of Kremlin meddling in the U.S. election by saying Democrats "are trying to blame all their failures on external factors."

Russian leader Vladimir Putin took part in the funeral on Thursday for Andrei Karlov, Russia's ambassador to Turkey. Political life in Moscow halted to remember Karlov's service.

Talks in Moscow between Russia, Turkey and Iran on Syria's future went ahead despite the assassination in Ankara of Russia's top diplomat. Moscow laid blame for the killing farther afield.

President Obama promised to "reset" relations with Russia when he took office. But after allegations of Russia interfering in the U.S. election, many say relations are at a low point.

Former Rep. Jack Kingston, traveling as a private individual, was briefing businesspeople in Russia — and it's no secret to Russians that he has ties to Trump.

"The choice of Tillerson is sensational. Trump continues to amaze," a Russian senator tweeted. The Kremlin was more circumspect, but it's clear the ExxonMobil chief has high-level fans.

U.S. troops are training in Estonia, just 70 miles from the Russian border. It points to NATO's increased activity in the Baltic states and Poland amid the growing tensions with Moscow.

The tiny Baltic state of Estonia relies on the U.S. and NATO to protect it from its giant neighbor Russia. But the country might not be able to count on that security under a Trump administration.

NATO members Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are anxious over President-elect Donald Trump's criticism of NATO and comments about forging stronger ties between the U.S. and Russia.

The Russian leader congratulates Donald Trump and holds out the prospect of cooperation. But with friction on several fronts, it's not clear how they will reduce tensions.

The Moscow office of the human rights group Amnesty International has been sealed closed by government officials. The organization said the doors are now sealed and the locks have been changed, but there's been no explanation as to why its staff have been prevented from entering the building.