President Vladimir Putin continues to downplay atrocities by Stalin. Some see Russia’s refusal to come to grips with its Soviet past haunting relations with the West.

Stephen Sestanovich, CFR’s top Russia expert, says despite the stage-managed appearance of Russia’s political transition, jockeying among power factions is taking place behind the scenes.

Whether to engage heads of rogue states, a perennial foreign policy dilemma, has emerged in the 2008 U.S. presidential campaign.