This month’s vote will be the first conducted while Russia is involved in a major war, and Vladimir Putin is counting on a strong show of national unity and highlighting support in occupied Ukraine.

The Sochi Olympics have placed a spotlight on the poor global standing of Russia under Vladimir Putin, whose policies are likely to damage relations with the West long after the Games are over, write…

Russia’s toughest economic challenge since the collapse of 1998 could lead it to a less confrontational foreign policy and a loss of international standing, writes CFR’s Stephen Sestanovich.